Big Issue?

The other day it was suggested by my wife,  that I read a book called "For the love of Bob", by James Bowen.

This then lead on to me reading a second book in the series called "Bob No Ordinary Cat" by the same author

This was a real life story of someone who fell on very hard times in his life,  and was adopted by a cat who he called Bob

While reading this story,  I really got to understand a little about the lives of some of the people  we see on the streets every day selling the Big Issue.

These people are largely ignored in many cases as drop outs, but they are real people with real stories to tell.

These days many of these people  seem  to be immigrants trying to find their way in society, however there are still lots of people, who may well have lost everything in their lives, and are fighting desperately to get some sort of regime and routine back.

Unless you have been in this position, I don't suppose you would ever give them a second thought

I confess that I was a little naive until I started to read this book, and then found it hard to put it down, because it was compulsive reading.

I knew very little about the "Big Issue",  although I have probably read about it in the past, and then its disappeared from my memory like many other things.

But the idea of giving people a role in their lives, providing they are willing to work at it,  is amazing, and I will never look at these sellers again in the same way.

We all deserve a second chance although many never get this.

But reading about how Bob the cat, adopted and supported James was truly amazing.

We had a cat and two dogs over the years, and I was always amazed at how they could detect when you are feeling ill or having a bad day. 

Animals have this amazing ability to understand human feelings, and I guess that is why they are used to support people who are ill, or have long term medical issues.

They always say that a cat picks it's owner, because it's a very independent animal, and I belive that.

I also understand that it's a very intelligent animal and resourceful, and won't allow you into their private space unless they trust and respect you.

They say Men should not cry, but I confess I failed when I read these books, because of the emotion that these books bring.

It's been a pleasure to learn about "The Big Issue" and how other people cope with their difficulties.

Its also amazing how something as small as a cat,, can change things around

It's not my type of book by any means, but it's light and has a lovely story behind it.

Thank you James and Bob