Brandon Stanton's Blog, page 380

"She doesn’t force her beliefs on other people. Just...

"She doesn’t force her beliefs on other people. Just because she doesn’t do drugs, for example, she’s not judging people who do. She knows the difference between an opinion and a moral standard."

"I was in charge of a unit assigned to River Boat Patrol. One...

"I was in charge of a unit assigned to River Boat Patrol. One night we were tossing grenades into the water, and it sounded like one landed inside of the ship, so everybody jumped off. Turned out it was just an empty container clanking around, but one of the guys never made it back to the ship. A few days later, some villagers found his body in the river and brought it to our camp. It was really bloated."

"We always write letters to each other. She wrote me letters the...

"We always write letters to each other. She wrote me letters the whole time I was in the hospital. When I thought my hand was never going to work again, she wrote me a letter that said: ‘At the very least, I expect you to pick up a marble when I see you next.’ I’m actually going to see her in a few hours. But I still want to have a letter to give her."

"I’m trying to determine how sensors can be used to...

"I’m trying to determine how sensors can be used to collect information about soils and plants so that farmers in India can better manage their crops."

"I was at a really low point last summer. I stopped talking to...

"I was at a really low point last summer. I stopped talking to everyone, and started taking downers."
"How’d you pull out of it?"
"I joined a dance group. I’m heading there right now, in fact."

"One time I was taking him and a friend to the park, and his...

"One time I was taking him and a friend to the park, and his friend had a slight walking problem. I didn’t even notice it, so I was walking pretty fast. He ran up to me, tapped me on the shoulder, and whispered: ‘Dad, will you please slow down?’ I’ll never forget that."

"I’ve been training in martial arts for 24 years. And...

"I’ve been training in martial arts for 24 years. And I’ve never once been in a fight outside the academy."

"I brought a guy home with me last 4th of July. When I woke up,...

"I brought a guy home with me last 4th of July. When I woke up, he was frantically patting the bed around him. Then he told me: ‘I think I pissed the bed.’ He was right. I ended up having to go buy some spray at the pet store."
"Did you go out with him again?"
"Once or twice."

"I’m thinking about something at work, and how I’m...

"I’m thinking about something at work, and how I’m going to conquer it."
"So what are you going to conquer?"
"There’s a project I’m working on with a group. And I think I’ve figured out a way to do it better, faster, and cheaper. So I’m gonna be like a hawk. I’m about to swoop in. I’m not gonna be a vulture. A vulture waits until things fall apart, then comes in with the solution. But I’m not waiting. I’m gonna swoop. Like a hawk. A hawk grabs the rat while it’s still alive."
"So are your coworkers the rats?"
"No, no, no. They’re helping with the rats. They’re mongooses. Mongeese."

"I tend to be cynical about a lot of things, but Maya Angelou is...

"I tend to be cynical about a lot of things, but Maya Angelou is somebody that no matter how much I pick her apart, she still has integrity. She was a victim of incest and rape, and she worked as a stripper. And now she’s a literary icon and Nobel Laureate. It goes to show that life is cumulative, and you can’t devalue any type of experience."