The Joe Public Guide Series
JOE CASTELLO
The Joe Public Guide to Big Steve’s Lifecoach
Introduction Contents
Introduction
I first met Big Steve when I was visiting a rehab unit in Oxfordshire.
He was 46 years of age and had spent 19 years of his life in prison whilst serving about 12 sentences.
He told me that the rehab unit was the saving of his life, and how by contrast, the prison system was a disorganised fiasco that had failed him.
He related how on one of his releases from custody he had been given the fare to return to his home town, but that no consideration was given to the fact that he was dressed in summer trousers and just a T-shirt, just as he had been when he went into prison. The release date was in February and the night-time temperatures were as low as minus 4 degrees. His hometown probation service was unable to provide him with accommodation which finally resulted in a charity organisation supplying him with a sleeping bag.
For the next 11 nights, Steve slept rough in shop doorways at temperatures of around minus 4 degrees. Eventually the police rounded up all the town’s rough sleepers because of the severity of the weather conditions.
People like Big Steve, although intelligent, often have fragile and inconsistent support systems and are often left to “sort it out for themselves”. There are also many people who may have support systems, but who have emerged from a lengthy period in the wilderness and who therefore also need some “reminders” about normal mainstream life.
The people who may benefit from this book include addicts, people who have been in prison, people who emerged from depression and people who have suffered failure and loss of self-confidence – or a combination of the above.
This short book is written for all those people who often don’t receive any sort of road map that might help them to reclaim their lives and to pursue eventual health, happiness and success.
Some of the points made are re-affirmations of the “obvious”, but some of them are “less obvious”. Some of you may choose to read all the book, whereas some may just pick out odd chapters which you feel are relevant to your situation.
I feel that it’s important for you to do whatever works for you, and that credit should be given to you for trying to improve yourself and to move forward to a better life.
Reclaiming your life is definitely the name of the game.
It’s a smart person indeed who learns nothing from these pages.