Ocean Vuong

And it works in the same way when you buy a car or a home or a washing machine. And I thought, and yet... American life as I saw it growing up as an immigrant in this country didn't work like that. My aunt works at FedEx for almost 40 years. My brother works at Dick's Sporting Goods for 15 years. The people who I love, they work the same jobs. They drive the same car.

And it works in the same way when you buy a car or a home or a washing machine. And I thought, and yet... American life as I saw it growing up as an immigrant in this country didn't work like that. My aunt works at FedEx for almost 40 years. My brother works at Dick's Sporting Goods for 15 years. The people who I love, they work the same jobs. They drive the same car.

And it works in the same way when you buy a car or a home or a washing machine. And I thought, and yet... American life as I saw it growing up as an immigrant in this country didn't work like that. My aunt works at FedEx for almost 40 years. My brother works at Dick's Sporting Goods for 15 years. The people who I love, they work the same jobs. They drive the same car.

They live in the same homes for 20, 30 years. Some of them don't get raises. Some of them don't move up. And yet their lives are not worthless. It's not like their lives are not... Meaningful. Meaningful. Yeah. You know, and there was this... When I was trying to learn how to be a writer, everyone said, you have to change, you have to improve.

They live in the same homes for 20, 30 years. Some of them don't get raises. Some of them don't move up. And yet their lives are not worthless. It's not like their lives are not... Meaningful. Meaningful. Yeah. You know, and there was this... When I was trying to learn how to be a writer, everyone said, you have to change, you have to improve.

They live in the same homes for 20, 30 years. Some of them don't get raises. Some of them don't move up. And yet their lives are not worthless. It's not like their lives are not... Meaningful. Meaningful. Yeah. You know, and there was this... When I was trying to learn how to be a writer, everyone said, you have to change, you have to improve.

And meanwhile, American life, as I saw it, wasn't improving. But it doesn't mean that these people didn't have lives full of dignity.

And meanwhile, American life, as I saw it, wasn't improving. But it doesn't mean that these people didn't have lives full of dignity.

And meanwhile, American life, as I saw it, wasn't improving. But it doesn't mean that these people didn't have lives full of dignity.

Yeah, yeah. I hope I changed it just enough not to have to hire a lawyer. But I worked there for two years. I worked at Panera Bread as well. And what I found was that It's easy to be kind when you have so much to give, when you have so much means, you have so much wealth. It's easy to give when your life doesn't change, when you can give so much. And it's a beautiful thing.

Yeah, yeah. I hope I changed it just enough not to have to hire a lawyer. But I worked there for two years. I worked at Panera Bread as well. And what I found was that It's easy to be kind when you have so much to give, when you have so much means, you have so much wealth. It's easy to give when your life doesn't change, when you can give so much. And it's a beautiful thing.

Yeah, yeah. I hope I changed it just enough not to have to hire a lawyer. But I worked there for two years. I worked at Panera Bread as well. And what I found was that It's easy to be kind when you have so much to give, when you have so much means, you have so much wealth. It's easy to give when your life doesn't change, when you can give so much. And it's a beautiful thing.

That's right. That's right. And what is it? Kindness without hope. When you don't have hope that the kindness will drastically change anyone's life and yet you still give it. That has always fascinated me, even as a child. You know, we are a culture that fetishizes talent. Athletic talent, musical talent, writing talent.

That's right. That's right. And what is it? Kindness without hope. When you don't have hope that the kindness will drastically change anyone's life and yet you still give it. That has always fascinated me, even as a child. You know, we are a culture that fetishizes talent. Athletic talent, musical talent, writing talent.

That's right. That's right. And what is it? Kindness without hope. When you don't have hope that the kindness will drastically change anyone's life and yet you still give it. That has always fascinated me, even as a child. You know, we are a culture that fetishizes talent. Athletic talent, musical talent, writing talent.

But I wonder what would happen if we had prodigies of kindness, if we can celebrate children when we tap into this innate kindness. And I saw that at the home market, at the Boston markets, at the Panera Breads, where people are always... When there's so little they can do to affect change, they still go out of their way. They don't get paid extra. They don't get anything extra.

But I wonder what would happen if we had prodigies of kindness, if we can celebrate children when we tap into this innate kindness. And I saw that at the home market, at the Boston markets, at the Panera Breads, where people are always... When there's so little they can do to affect change, they still go out of their way. They don't get paid extra. They don't get anything extra.

But I wonder what would happen if we had prodigies of kindness, if we can celebrate children when we tap into this innate kindness. And I saw that at the home market, at the Boston markets, at the Panera Breads, where people are always... When there's so little they can do to affect change, they still go out of their way. They don't get paid extra. They don't get anything extra.

And yet it's the moments after the shifts, having the cigarettes, after being slammed, people being diagnosed with cancer in the middle of the shifts, getting on the phone calls.

And yet it's the moments after the shifts, having the cigarettes, after being slammed, people being diagnosed with cancer in the middle of the shifts, getting on the phone calls.