Brandon Stanton's Blog, page 465

"She keeps me from judging good people. I keep her from trusting...

"She keeps me from judging good people. I keep her from trusting bad people."

"We met online six months ago. But we just met in person a few...

"We met online six months ago. But we just met in person a few days ago. She came into the city for my birthday, and she’s about to get on the train back home."

“How much did you guys talk online during those six months?”

“A lot.”

“How much is a lot?”

“Pretty much all the time. But if one of us had something to do, we could give each other space and go awhile without talking.”

“How long is awhile?”

“Two or three hours.”

"Both my kids will have graduated from college in 4.5 years, and...

"Both my kids will have graduated from college in 4.5 years, and I’m heading to Mexico. I’m not kidding. Social Security goes a long way down there. For $300 a week, I could have a place to stay, a satellite dish, a fishing pole, and some rum."

"He puts up with my nasty attitude."“It’s not...

"He puts up with my nasty attitude."

“It’s not nasty. It could just sometimes be less negative.”

"We got married at a protest. We think alike. And we party...

"We got married at a protest. We think alike. And we party alike."

"I just had dinner with my professor, he’s trying to help...

"I just had dinner with my professor, he’s trying to help me get more focused."

“Focused how?”

“He thinks that all the extracurriculars I’m doing, like Student Government and things like that, are serving as a stalling tactic to keep me from figuring out what I really want to do.”

"What was the happiest moment of your life?"“Well I can...

"What was the happiest moment of your life?"

“Well I can tell you a moment of really simple joy. I was squatting down in New Orleans, living off donations, and one day I was able to obtain ice, lemons, and sugar all at the same time. So I had lemonade for the entire day.”

“Why were you squatting in New Orleans?”

“It was right after Katrina hit. I was twenty years old, in the midst of a righteous political phase, and I didn’t really have plans for the summer. So I said: ‘Racist shit is happening in New Orleans! I’ve got to get down there!’”

"My mom had me when she was really young. We always had more of...

"My mom had me when she was really young. We always had more of a friendship than a mother-daughter relationship. You know, I’d always talk to her about my friends and my issues, things like that. I’ve always been really free to speak my mind. But now that I’m older, and I’m discovering more and more things that I disagree with her about, she doesn’t think I respect her enough."

"I’ve been out of rehab for three months."“Was it...

"I’ve been out of rehab for three months."

“Was it your first time?”

“Yep.”

“What caused you to finally get help?”

“It had literally become a matter of life and death. I’d been to the emergency room a couple of times. Plus drinking had completely ruined my marriage.”

“How so?”

“Drinking made me really shady. I wasn’t even communicating with my wife anymore. I’d go to work for 15 hours, come home, drink, and go to bed. It’s like we weren’t even in a relationship— we were just roommates.”

"When I was younger, I was terrified of being abducted by...

"When I was younger, I was terrified of being abducted by aliens."

“When did you outgrow it?”

“I never really did.”