Keep Facing the Sun

The abuse I received working on the streets was a constant part of my life. Almost every day someone would shout something behind my back. You never get used to it, but you do learn to live with it.

There were times when I would bite, and engage the person abusing me. It was a pointless exercise, however. There was no benefit in interacting with people, who – in all honesty – didn’t deserve any interaction in the first place. I only upset myself by doing so.

Having Bob with me helped enormously. He almost physically forced me to take a different approach. He would sit on my shoulders, his face pointing forward, looking ahead rather than back. It struck me one sunny, summer’s evening, while we were walking through Covent Garden, heading towards Leicester Square where I was due to meet a friend. Some idiot had just shouted abuse at me, but I ignored it. I pressed on with Bob on my shoulder, heading towards the sun, setting to the west.

‘What’s the old saying, Bob?’ I said quietly to him. ‘Keep your face always towards the sunshine – and the shadows will fall behind you.’