Exploring the Depths of Intuition

An event from my twenties that I remember vividly was when my intuition became real and reliable. It has stayed with me ever since, and it's something that I always appreciate as a lesson to trust. You won't always change the outcome, but you learn important lessons about yourself.

I worked for a city council in the social services sector. I looked after a specific area of the city where my job was to oversee and advocate for welfare of vulnerable people in the community.

On an average day, I visited my clients, checked they were ok, made referrals to other caring organisations for help if needed, called for GP visits as needed and sometimes had a cup of tea with those who were isolated in their homes. Back at HQ, I made applications for grants and liaised with other professionals on behalf of the clients.

I had to respond to emergencies and deal with whatever I encountered. Often this was a case of neighbours reporting someone hadn't been seen for a while, or direct calls from people who had fallen and were injured. I had a walkie talkie and car to move quickly if necessary.

The clients had buttons that would send an alarm signal to HQ, which would then be received and responded to by my walkie talkie message.

On a particular weekend, I was called to check on an elderly man who was outside of my usual catchment area. I was not familair with his general situation.

If there was no response from a vulnerable client in the morning, the control room operators would try again later. If there still was no response, then an instruction with a key to enter the property would be given.

We stored keys for those without family living close to them. He had family who were his key holders and first point of contact if there were any concerns.

Unfortunately, the family didn’t answer the phone when we called them, after there had been no response from his morning check in. I received a radio message to attend the property, establish if he was there and if I could determine that he was ok.

As I approached the front door, I saw a pint of milk on the doorstep. It was a Sunday, so I knew it wasn’t delivered that day as the milkman only delivered Monday to Saturday. I radioed my concern in.

My next task was to see if anyone inside the property could respond to me. I knocked hard, shouted through the letterbox, listened intently and felt sure he was inside, despite no response from him.

His dog was mournfully howling back at me from the other side of the door.

I couldn't see inside the home because of its net curtains, solid front and rear doors, and draught excluder on back of the letterbox. I radioed my concerns back to the control room.

Meanwhile, they kept calling the key holder in the hope someone would answer soon and put our minds at rest.

Where we suspected someone was in trouble and needed urgent attention, we would often call the police and ask for permission to break into the home via a window, if we were not the keyholder.

However, we had to meet certain criteria for this request to be agreed. Sometimes the police attended, but many times when they were busy and they left us to do this ourselves.

I felt so strongly that he was inside and we needed to get that police consent.

There were a couple of things to check out to meet the criteria - witness sightings were priority. I called next door and asked if they had seen him lately. One person responded that his family often came for him and took him out for the day and was certain they had seen them do this. I asked if he always left the dog, to which they replied yes. Does the dog normally howl? I asked. The answer was a resounding yes.

I was given my last chance to find a reason to get permission to break a window and enter the house when I found the pint of milk on the doorstep. The neighbours stated it was normal for him to forget to bring it in. Scuppered!

I had run out of criteria, but I knew he was inside, either in trouble or deceased.

 The control room had no justification for keeping me there any longer, and I was instructed to go home.

The next morning, his daughter visited and found him deceased, in his favourite chair.

They had come home late on the Sunday night from a day out with the grandchildren and in the morning, discovered his body.

When you just know - you're now trusting your intuition.

I knew he was inside his home all along and nothing shook me from that beleif. I can’t tell you how I knew - other than a very strong intuition. There was nothing to see, no odour or human sound that alerted me. The neighbour's witness reports countered every possibility that suggested he was there.

It was pure intuition that convinced me he was there. Logic, procedusres and reasoning were unhelpful in this case.

According to the coroner, he had passed on the Friday evening, so had been dead for almost two days by the time I was on the scene.

I will never forget the strength of feeling that he was there all along. The power of intuition can be subtle, but sometimes it totally overwhelms you. You may not be able to change a situation, but when that knowing seems unshakeable, you know you can absolutely trust your intuition.

When you know - you really do know. Trust yourself

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