Brandon Stanton's Blog, page 204

“You know how I got this hat? I was in the Elite German...

“You know how I got this hat? I was in the Elite German Mountain Troops for two years. We had to be able to ski, climb, then fight at the end of it all. To graduate, we had to do something called the Edelweiss March. An Edelweiss is a flower that only grows at 8,000 feet. So the Edelweiss March is when you carry 50 lbs of equipment for forty miles through the mountains. And at the end, you get this hat.”

“I’ve been in America since January. But it won’t feel like...

“I’ve been in America since January. But it won’t feel like home until I can get my mom here. For me, home is my mom. It was just the two of us in Panama. We did everything together. The day that I left was a terrible day. We slept together in the same bed that night. We cried in the house, cried in the car, and cried at the airport. I stood at the entrance of airport security for an hour, because we kept waving at each other through the window. My goal is to bring her here. I found a job on the Monster website. I knock on doors for Verizon. I’m supposed to knock on 120 doors a day. It has really been helping me with my English. If I make five sales in a week, I will have my own team. Then if my team does well, then I can be a manager with my own office. If I have my own office, then maybe I can bring my mom to America.”

TWELVE HOURS LEFT to get HONY Stories for $10.50 online at...

TWELVE HOURS LEFT to get HONY Stories for $10.50 online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The book is marked down 50% for Black Friday weekend, and you can get an additional 30% off by using the coupon code HOLIDAY30 (Amazon) or 30BFRIDAY (Barnes and Noble). Both codes are valid until midnight tonight. The book is about $7 cheaper than the lowest price you’ll be able to find for the 362 days, after which I’ll most likely dress my dogs in Christmas pajamas and remind you again. Happy Holidays!

AMAZON
HONY Stories: http://amzn.to/1aXqwEk
Humans of New York: http://amzn.to/1FBuzy4
*30% off Coupon Code: HOLIDAY30

BARNES AND NOBLE
HONY Stories: http://bit.ly/1Idvkoa
Humans of New York: *30% off Coupon Code: 30BFRIDAY

Barnes and Noble also has signed editions in every store this weekend, if anyone would prefer those. You can actually print a 30% off coupon here and redeem it at a store, so it would be almost the same price: http://bit.ly/1TjFSDi

“Stagnant is too strong a word. But I’m definitely on...

“Stagnant is too strong a word. But I’m definitely on the brink of needing to decide what I’m going to do.”

(3/3) “I’ve never been in a relationship. I haven’t even told...

(3/3) “I’ve never been in a relationship. I haven’t even told my parents that I’m gay. I was sitting with my mother at dinner the other night, and a gay couple walked by holding hands. She said to me: ‘I don’t know why they have to do that in public.’ I didn’t say anything. But I was looking at her, thinking: ‘How do I tell you that’s what I want more than anything?’”

(2/3) “I have a problem falling in love with straight guys. I...

(2/3) “I have a problem falling in love with straight guys. I really had my heart broken recently. We started out as friends. We were interning together and one day I asked him if he wanted to hang out after work. Then suddenly we started spending time together. And we were sharing details about our lives. And we were shopping together. And cooking meals together. It’s not like we were just going to the bar or watching sports. These were real experiences we were sharing. One night we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to watch the sunset. And we sat on a rock. And I kept casually touching him, and scooting toward him, but he’d always shirk away. I wanted so bad for there to be something. I’d tell myself that he just wasn’t sure of who he was. But in reality, he just wasn’t interested. I was too chicken to tell him how I felt. We just started hanging out less and less. We don’t talk anymore.”

(1/3) “My brother hung himself in the foyer of our living room...

(1/3) “My brother hung himself in the foyer of our living room when I was sixteen. It wasn’t much of a surprise. He’d tried twice before. He’d tried to slit his wrists a few months earlier. And a month before that he tried to overdose on sleeping pills. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. My parents did everything they could. They tried taking him to therapy, taking him to church, giving him all the medications that the doctor prescribed. But nothing worked. He was always angry. When I came home from school that day, Mom and Dad were holding each other and promising that they wouldn’t let this tear them apart. And I’ve spent the last three years of my life trying to help them hold their relationship together. I always had to make sure Mom got out of bed. I’d constantly remind her that she wasn’t a failure. I’d tell her: ‘Look at me. I’m doing great. I’m still here. Be with me. Be with Dad.’ Now that I’ve finally moved away from home, I’m realizing that I spent all my time worrying about them. And now I’ve got a lot to figure out about myself.”

“Simon here. Susie has been reading the same page for ten...

“Simon here. Susie has been reading the same page for ten minutes, so I’ll take this time to tell you that until midnight tomorrow, you can get 65% off HONY Stories online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Both retailers are selling the book for $4.50 cheaper than they purchase them from the publisher. Don’t ask me how I know this. I’m a dog.”

AMAZON
HONY Stories: http://amzn.to/1aXqwEk
Humans of New York: http://amzn.to/1FBuzy4
*30% off Coupon Code: HOLIDAY30

BARNES AND NOBLE
HONY Stories: http://bit.ly/1Idvkoa
Humans of New York: *30% off Coupon Code: 30BFRIDAY

Barnes and Noble also has signed editions in every store this weekend, if anyone would prefer those. You can actually print a 30% off coupon here and redeem it at a store, so it would be almost the same price: http://bit.ly/1TjFSDi

“We’re living in sin.”

“We’re living in sin.”

(3/3) “I had to go back to everyone I knew and tell them that...

(3/3) “I had to go back to everyone I knew and tell them that the actress decided not to wear my clothes. The stylist sent back all ten pieces. I was so embarrassed. I felt like a failure. I got so depressed that I had to move out of the city for a few months and live with my sister in Maryland. I’ve been doing a lot of praying and going to church. And I feel at peace now. I think that God knew I wasn’t ready for success. If my career had taken off then, I’d have thought it was from my own strength. I was feeling too proud. I needed to remember where my talent came from. I’ve been praying so much. And I’m in a good place now. I’m ready to start moving forward again. And it’s really unbelievable that I just ran into you. Because I just came into the city for the afternoon to buy some fabric.”