Brandon Stanton's Blog, page 192

Today in microfashion…

Today in microfashion…

“When we go to the parent-teacher conferences, they always...

“When we go to the parent-teacher conferences, they always tell us that he has difficulty paying attention and can’t sit still in his seat, but that he has a big heart and always sticks up for kids who are getting picked on. And that makes me proud. Because we’ve always told him that it doesn’t matter how smart you are, as long as you’re a good person.”

“Whenever I’m doing my doll’s hair, he comes...

“Whenever I’m doing my doll’s hair, he comes in and ruins everything.”

“I want to get in on the fun. I’m just not understanded.”

“We found a car!”

“We found a car!”

“I grew up in the church. I accepted Christ when I was seven...

“I grew up in the church. I accepted Christ when I was seven years old. At the age of sixteen, I decided to dedicate my life to serving Jesus while attending a mission camp worship service. My biggest accomplishment is all the times I’ve helped young kids find a relationship with Christ. And my biggest goal in life is to tell everyone about Jesus. I’m here in New York trying to plant churches. It’s a mission field unlike any other. There are people here from all over the world, so the message you spread here can travel anywhere. I know all my answers are super churchy, but feel free to share it. I won’t be reading the comment section.”

“I want to raise good people. I don’t want them to grow into...

“I want to raise good people. I don’t want them to grow into people who will do anything they can to get ahead. So every chance I get, I’m trying to teach them to put themselves in other peoples’ shoes. I always ask my oldest daughter to describe how she thinks another person feels. Then we try to imagine ways to make them feel better. I want them to learn that, yes, it feels good to get what you want. But it can feel just as good to help someone else get what they want.”

“At my high school, the first kid to get a pair of new...

“At my high school, the first kid to get a pair of new Jordan’s was the king, and the kid who couldn’t afford them was bait for the sharks. My mom and I didn’t have much money so I got teased a lot. Sometimes it got so bad that I’d have panic attacks. One day all the kids were being especially nice to me in history class. Everyone was acting like my friend, but as soon as the bell rang, they all threw soap at me at the same time. I lived in a homeless shelter at the time. I liked being at the shelter much more than being at school. Everything at school was a competition. But everyone at the shelter helped each other out. People would share clothes, cook for each other, and babysit for each other. We were all at rock bottom, so nobody thought they were better than each other.”

“We first saw each other in a stage combat class, but were too...

“We first saw each other in a stage combat class, but were too afraid to speak to each other. But then we happened to ride in the same carpool to the Renaissance Fair. She was a sheperdess. I was Will Scarlett—who is Robin Hood’s number two, when Little John is not around.”

“I play the drums on the subway for about three hours per day....

“I play the drums on the subway for about three hours per day. It’s like the matrix down here. A lot of bad energy. Everyone is rushing and tense and people don’t like to look at each other. So I’m trying to spread some positivity and keep people out of the zombie zone. Yesterday I was singing some Bob Marley and a man screamed at me to stop playing. I think he was bothered by my light. He got too close to the sun.“

“I’m doing post doctorate research in health economics. My...

“I’m doing post doctorate research in health economics. My research looks at two variables: dollars spent and numbers of years lived. The goal is to determine how best to utilize Medicaid dollars to maximize the lifespan of recipients. It’s important to study healthcare because it’s the most precious resource we have. Monday was Martin Luther King Day, and he said that there was no greater injustice in America than our distribution of healthcare. Researchers can determine your life expectancy based on the closest subway stop to your house. That’s not due to genetics. That’s not because the breadbasket of America is running out. That’s because of how we choose to divide our resources. And I think it defines our character as a society.”