Brandon Stanton's Blog, page 349

“I went to the beach because I thought it’d be a good place to...

“I went to the beach because I thought it’d be a good place to die. I felt mad hopeless. I didn’t eat or drink for three days. Every time I fell back asleep, I hoped that I wouldn’t wake up. I thought I’d die after two or three days. But after three days, it was like: ‘Fuck, I’m not dead.’ So I walked into a hospital and said I needed help.”

“She ran the 800 meter dash on Field Day and finished the whole...

“She ran the 800 meter dash on Field Day and finished the whole race even though it was really hot.”

“My mom committed suicide when I was ten. I’ll never forget the...

“My mom committed suicide when I was ten. I’ll never forget the day we went to foster care. It was the last day of third grade. I was riding home on the bus with my brother, and I was so excited about meeting my friend later at the YMCA. But when we got home, all of our stuff was packed into boxes. My dad was sitting on the stairwell, crying. He wouldn’t tell us what was going on. He just told us that we had to leave. For the first couple years of foster care, he’d tell us every week that he was about to come get us. After awhile we stopped believing him.”

“I’m always fearful because I don’t have a safety net. I feel...

“I’m always fearful because I don’t have a safety net. I feel like I’m walking on a tightrope with nothing to catch me if I fall. I’ve moved 80 times in my life. I don’t have any savings. I don’t have any room to make a mistake. In college, I was always around so many people who could afford to make mistakes, and I couldn’t help but feel very envious of them.”
“When did you feel most envious?”
“Family day.”

“As soon as I finish the program, they’re going to give me my...

“As soon as I finish the program, they’re going to give me my kids back. I need to get back to them. I’m all they’ve got.”

“They’re day and night. This one’s emotional, and this one isn’t...

“They’re day and night. This one’s emotional, and this one isn’t at all. We were actually reading a story before we left the house, and it was about a dog that got lost. This one started getting emotional about the lost dog. And this one said: ‘What’s wrong with you? It’s just a dog.’”

“I took my daughter to Disney World over the 4th of July. And...

“I took my daughter to Disney World over the 4th of July. And seeing her face as those fireworks went off gave me goosebumps. She looked so amazed. It just really made me feel like I’d accomplished something.”

“I’m an artist just like my mom.”“What kind of art do you...

“I’m an artist just like my mom.”
“What kind of art do you make?”
“Ninja Turtles and helicopters.”

“I haven’t liked to sleep indoors ever since I got out of...

“I haven’t liked to sleep indoors ever since I got out of prison. I’ve visited almost every state—only five more to go. And once I finish, I’m going to start over, so she can see them all too.”

“How’d you meet?”“We were both looking at the same sculpture.”

“How’d you meet?”
“We were both looking at the same sculpture.”