Humans of New York

I admit it. I have a Facebook page. Today I came across this page: https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork

The page’s originator, Brandon Stanton, wanders the city taking pictures of people. He asks many, “What was your happiest day?” “What was your saddest day?” Others are simple quotes about their lives in general.

Some of them will make you laugh:

“I’m 92 years old.”
“What’s your secret?”
“Lots of sex.”

Some will make you think about life:

I asked her for a piece of advice. She reached in her purse, pulled out a piece of paper, and handed it to me. It said this:

Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good. Life is too short– enjoy it. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present and the future. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. If a relationship has to be secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
Take a deep breath, it calms the mind. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. It’s never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else. When it comes time to go after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer. Burn the nice candles, use the nice sheets, wear the nice lingerie, wear the nice clothes. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
Over prepare, then go with the flow. No one is in charge of your happiness but you. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years will this matter?’ Always choose life. Forgive but don’t forget. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
If we all threw our problems in a pile and we saw everyone else’s, we’d grab our’s back. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you need. Yield. Friends are the family we choose. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

And some of them will break your heart:

“My daughter died of a brain aneurysm when she was thirty. She wasn’t a baby, but she was my baby.”

There are hundreds of photos and this is a great page to browse through.