Brandon Stanton's Blog, page 323

"I gave my three year old daughter some worthless coins, and...

"I gave my three year old daughter some worthless coins, and jokingly told her that she was rich. She went and hid the coins away, and I forgot all about them. Around the same time, my oldest daughter got a bunch of money from her aunts and uncles for her birthday. A few months later, we needed money for food, and I asked my oldest daughter if we could use some of her birthday money. She refused. I almost started crying, because I thought then that I had completely failed as a parent. But suddenly, my youngest daughter appeared, and gave me back the handful of coins that I had given her."

(Mexico City, Mexico)

"I got it for her birthday. I live 1.5 hours away, so I had to...

"I got it for her birthday. I live 1.5 hours away, so I had to bring it on the bus and the subway. It was a little embarrassing."

(Mexico City, Mexico)

Today in microfashion…(Mexico City, Mexico)

Today in microfashion…

(Mexico City, Mexico)

"What’s the most romantic thing he’s ever done?""He...

"What’s the most romantic thing he’s ever done?"
"He asked my kids for permission to marry me."

(Mexico City, Mexico)

"Do you remember the saddest moment of your life?""My first...

"Do you remember the saddest moment of your life?"
"My first night at sleepaway camp."

(Mexico City, Mexico)

"He called and said that he was going to commit suicide if I...

"He called and said that he was going to commit suicide if I left him. But he’d already blackmailed me so many times before, and I was so tired of it, that I told him I didn’t care and hung up. When I called back three hours later, a cop answered the phone."

(Mexico City, Mexico)

"I’m trying to help my parents pay for college."(Mexico...

"I’m trying to help my parents pay for college."

(Mexico City, Mexico)

"What’s your greatest worry as a mother?""That the values...

"What’s your greatest worry as a mother?"
"That the values I teach him won’t overcome the influence of the street that we live on."

(Mexico City, Mexico)

"I don’t know much about him. My aunt tells me that he was...

"I don’t know much about him. My aunt tells me that he was smart and funny, and that I’m a lot like him because I’m stubborn. I know that I have his nose. But other than that, he’s just the man who walked out on me and my mother. He’d call every few months when I was really young, but eventually that stopped. I can’t convince myself that he’s mean, because then I’ll be angry forever. I’m sure plenty of people who know him think that he’s a really nice guy."
"Would you like to know him?"
"I can’t say that I want to know him really, but I would like to know about him. I’d like to see how he behaves, how he walks, if he seems different than the other people I see on the street. I’m interested in his story just like I’m interested in everyone else’s story. Only a little more so, because I’m a part of his story."

(Mexico City, Mexico)

"If you could change one decision you’ve made in your...

"If you could change one decision you’ve made in your life, what would it be?"
"I wouldn’t get married, again."

(Mexico City, Mexico)