Brandon Stanton's Blog, page 303

“I want to drive a snow plow so I’ve been watching a lot of...

“I want to drive a snow plow so I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos about construction vehicles. Construction vehicles are built a lot like people. The steel is like the bones and if you look at a bulldozer, it looks like it has shoulders and elbows and wrists.” 

“He’s the top of his class in math, and second in reading. It’s a challenge to let him mature at a pace I want him to versus the pace that he wants to. We’re having to learn that even if you have a good response, it can sometimes be best to just listen.”

"What’s your proudest accomplishment?""Getting rid of my...

"What’s your proudest accomplishment?"
"Getting rid of my complexes."

"My mom died the week she was supposed to retire. I think she...

"My mom died the week she was supposed to retire. I think she died of sheer exhaustion. So I decided I was going to live my life in the present, and not focus on money. I just wanted to know myself and live life accordingly. I never thought about the future. So I find myself, at my age, having to focus on money."

"I need two million dollars."

"I need two million dollars."

"Everyone around me is in a relationship except for me. Whenever...

"Everyone around me is in a relationship except for me. Whenever someone says they like me, instead of saying ‘I like you too,’ I’ll say something like: ‘I know, I like me too.’ I maybe do it to show that I’m confident, and I love myself, and I’m not insecure.’"

The competition is getting fierce.

The competition is getting fierce.

"I’ve been training myself in clinical psychology....

"I’ve been training myself in clinical psychology. It’s been more transformative than all the LSD, shrooms, and Burning Mans that I’ve ever done!"

"We took a ten day trip to the Dominican Republic, and my plan...

"We took a ten day trip to the Dominican Republic, and my plan was to propose at the very end. I’d already called her parents and everything, so I couldn’t come home without proposing. On the day we were scheduled to go back home, we took one last romantic walk on the beach, right at sunrise. Everything was lining up perfectly. I led her to the most secluded spot I could find. The sunrise was beautiful. There was only one other couple on the beach. Then right before I proposed, the one other guy on the beach got on one knee and started proposing to his girlfriend."

"When I was fourteen, I had a friend over to my house and we...

"When I was fourteen, I had a friend over to my house and we were sitting on the floor of my closet making jewelry. My mom poked her head in the room and asked us what movie we wanted to see that night, and we said ‘Brokeback Mountain.’ She said we were a little too young for that, and suggested an animated movie instead. My friend started laughing at my mom and calling her lame. I joined in, even though I actually really liked animated movies. When my mom came back with the showtimes for Brokeback Mountain, I noticed that she was sniffling and her eyes were red. We saw Brokeback Mountain that night, but I’ve never wanted to watch it again."

"I’m an unemployed single father, and I feel like...

"I’m an unemployed single father, and I feel like I’ve been written out of the economy. I’ve got a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology, but I can’t get a job in teaching, medical writing, or research. They showed us a video in the food stamp office about finding a job. It showed some guy bagging groceries, and he said something like: ‘People assume I’m not smart because I’m bagging groceries, but I’ve got a bachelors degree and some graduate school experience!’ I think they were telling me to lower my expectations.’"