paperback/kindle at https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1981314350
More info at https://www.benwestwooduk.com/
INTRODUCTION
Plenty of people I’ve met that have heard snippets of my
life story often comment about how hard it must have been.
The truth is, during most of this adventure, it wasn’t.
Not consciously anyway.
As you’ll find out, things certainly could have turned
out much worse for me.
A lot of the people I’d met on the streets had stories a
lot more heart-breaking than mine.
And fortunately for me, some of the folk in this book
were an important part in changing my outlook on life.
I sometimes wonder who or what I could have become
without these kinds of moments.
For those that don’t know me (and those that perhaps
think they do!), I don’t do the streets anymore.
Sure I’ve had my times being homeless as an adult, and
perhaps with stories like this comes other hurdles, but being the sort of young
person I was, it often felt easy.
I guess that I’ve softened up a bit now in my adult life.
But it wasn’t until the age of thirty-two - whilst
writing this book - that I’ve ever really reflected on my teenage years as a
whole. It’s been somewhat strengthening.
A lot of the people that I’ve written about in this book
are now in a completely different time and space.
Some for better and some for worse, but for most part
they’ve learned their wisdom along the way.
Perhaps this book will help refresh people’s memories
into some of the abstract choices that can be made by a child’s mind?
Or perhaps give one or two social workers a better
understanding of bamboozling work cases such as I was?
Welcome to my teenage world of runaways, drug addicts,
predators, alcoholics, prostitutes, down-and-outs, bag ladies, angelic
acquaintances and beautiful souls.
Just one more thing…
Donations and money can only do so much for people.
If you really want to help the soul of a homeless person,
share with them a setting that you yourself would enjoy too.
Share dinner with them, get to know them, invite them to
a party, play a game with them, invite them to football or do something
creative…
Just connect.
The real deal.
Some may have no idea of its importance.
So without further ado, I present to you -
my childhood.
