Fictional literature can make me fantasize, but real stories and lives inspire me. I have always been curious about the life behind each face I casually meet on the street. Everyone has a story, but not everyone has a nice one. Every time I cross paths with a stranger, I wonder, "What’s behind the expression on that person’s face?" Sometimes the eyes tell part of it, but people quickly learn how to disguise the important details in the phrase of, “Everything’s going great."
Brandon Stanton is an American photographer and blogger, most known for being the guy behind Humans of New York. He has over 15.8 million followers on Facebook and around 4.1 million followers on Instagram, as of November 2015. He started taking pictures every day in New York; he was determined to own his time and do what he is passionate about with it. He started to take pictures of everything that caught his attention. But later, he turned his focus to the people, and started to look for a specific moment to take a unique picture. While in this process, he realized that people got comfortable with him as they started to tell him part of their day or something special that happened. Brandon then started to write what they told him as captions on the pictures, and this is where his blog became so popular.
Brandon is a very honest, selfless, and dedicated person, and he caused something huge to occur in my life. Looking at all those pictures with awesome captions that display a little piece of their lives - it's just so inspiring! It made me realize that being curious is not enough and it is not changing anything. Reading about people’s saddest or happiest moments of their lives led me to go beyond the basic questions when trying to start a conversation with someone.
Humans of New York not only influenced people to start their own “Humans of…” pages, but Stanton's idea caused people to change their perspectives about the world around them. When I started to follow the blog, the impression that I had of certain people changed. I stopped looking at them as just the “market guy” or “the doctor’s assistant.” Without realizing it, I had new eyes for people to look at them beyond their career, degrees, and even beyond what was said of them. It was as if I started my own secret blog, as I began to look for those stories that would open their heart and create a new connection. I also learned that the opening up of one's heart is something that cannot be forced or pushed. Rather, it's something that has to come naturally, and when that opportunity does arise, it's up to us to take it or leave it.
I recently asked a dear friend of mine (the same that introduced me to Humans of New York) “If you could write a letter to Brandon Stanton, what would you tell him?” Her answer was: “I don't think I would write him. I would just hug him for being so authentic and selfless.”
Actions are more valuable than words, but if I get to meet the guy behind Humans of New York, I’ll thank him for never giving up his passion and reaching things that he himself never imagined. For being an example of dedication, and for telling the world that one simple stranger can become a friend.
Thank you, Brandon.