Respect is always well deserved if you uphold your convictions and make a sacrifice in the service of your religion.
Former Colorado high school wrestler Brendan Johnston is well aware of it. According to reports, he apparently forfeited two state tournament matches against girls back in 2018.
By declining to accept the matches, he basically ended his high school career in the sport due to his personal and religious views.
Maybe more than ever these days, the idea of putting adult males and females in physical competition is being debated.
Of course, the majority of people think it’s unjust to pit men and women against one another. The two sexes differ greatly from one another, not the least of which is biological, thus the playing field isn’t even leveled at first.
Either way, the notion of facing Skyview High’s Jaslynn Gallegos in the opening round of a state tournament in 2018 infuriated 18-year-old Brendan Johnson. Brendan, a senior at Colorado Springs’ Classical Academy at the time, also chose not to compete against Valley High’s Angel Rios in his third-round consolation bout.
Christian Brendan stated, “It’s so physical, physically close,” in an interview with KDVR. That’s not really suitable, in my opinion, with a young lady. Additionally, it’s pretty aggressive, and I’m not really comfortable with that.
The speaker went on, “I truly do find the thought of battling with a girl troubling, and part of that does stem from my faith and my belief.
And that does stem in part from the way I was brought up to treat women as well as possibly from other events and things.
“I don’t believe I am viewing them as less equal. Because I do think that men and women are different and that we are designed differently, I am saying that they are women and that is distinct from them being guys.
However, I continue to think that men and women are equally valuable. I don’t believe that the concept of equality is opposed by the premise that men and women are different.
Brendan finished sixth since he didn’t wrestle the two girls, whereas Angel and Jaslynn finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
But Jaslynn was upset that Brendan decided not to play in a possible match. “This whole time that I’ve wrestled, it’s just me trying to prove a point that I am just a wrestler,” she stated at the time in an interview with the Washington Post.
It makes me a little uneasy because my gender is something that still holds me back, but I appreciate his choice. It’s alright.
“My entire point is that I’m just a wrestler; I’m not a girl wrestler. Thus, while it doesn’t exactly hurt my feelings, I do take it personally.
Read more about Brendan’s significant call here:
How do you feel about Brendan’s choice not to engage in a wrestling match with a female? Please tell us in the comments section. In the meanwhile, if you like reading this post, you should read the others below!
I Met a Lonely Little Boy with a Baby in Stroller Buying Clothes on the Flea Market – I Decided to Follow Him
I Met a Lonely Little Boy with a Baby in Stroller Buying Clothes on the Flea Market – I Decided to Follow Him
As Edison walks through a weekend flea market, he sees a young boy with a stroller and a sleeping baby inside. As he follows the boy, he finds them entering a dilapidated house. Unable to stop himself, Edison intervenes, trying to ensure the safety of the boy and the baby while trying to remain objective.
“Look at these vintage globes, sir!” a vendor said, trying to catch my attention. “They’re in great quality! Some of them open at the middle, and you can stash things inside.”
Antique globes on a shelf | Source: Midjourney
I laughed at the man, wondering what would fit into the tiny space inside these objects.
It was just another typical Saturday morning, and I was meandering through the flea market, searching for hidden treasures and eating my way through a bagel.
A person holding a bagel sandwich | Source: Midjourney
“No,” I said, brushing the man off. “I’m good, thank you!”
I made my way through the antique wooden boxes next, taking photos of them for my mother, but something unusual caught my eye.
A young boy, no more than twelve or thirteen, dressed in tattered clothes, was buying baby clothes from one of the stalls. Next to him was a stroller with a baby sleeping peacefully.
“Where are your parents?” I asked, approaching him.
A sleeping baby in a stroller | Source: Midjourney
The boy froze, eyes wide with fear. Suddenly, he snatched my phone and hurled it into the crowd.
I ran to retrieve it; as a lawyer, my phone was full of confidential information, and I couldn’t afford for anyone to get to it.
But the moment I turned away, the boy was already slipping away through the crowd, pushing the stroller with force.
“Hey! Wait!” I shouted, but he was off.
A boy running away | Source: Midjourney
“He’s been coming here often,” the old woman selling the used baby clothes said. “He always comes from that direction. Just follow the path, and you should find him. Help them. The baby is too young to be on the street.”
“What?” I asked her, wanting to hear more, but she was already busy with people browsing her stall.
I decided to follow him from a distance. Even though he had taken off, I figured I could follow the path as the woman said.
For about ten minutes, I tailed the boy through winding streets until he reached a dilapidated abandoned house.
A dilapidated and abandoned house | Source: Midjourney
“What is going on?” I muttered under my breath.
The place was a wreck, with signs of an old fire and general neglect that had taken over the house.
I watched through the window as the boy wheeled the stroller into the living room, and struggled to light a fire in a coal pot in the middle of the room.
My eyes scanned the room, trying to find an adult. Finally, I saw a man lying on the floor.
That was it.
“What’s going on here?” I demanded, stepping inside.
A man sleeping on the floor | Source: Midjourney
The boy jumped, knocking over the thin long metal pole he used to stoke the fire. The man stirred awake, jolted by my voice.
“Are you their father?” I continued. “Why are they living like this? Are you hurt? I’m a lawyer, sir. I can have you stripped of your parental rights. This isn’t an environment for children!”
“Please, don’t call the police or social services,” the man pleaded, sitting up with difficulty. “I can explain.”
“Explain? This is child neglect!” I shot back.
A man holding his face | Source: Midjourney
“These kids aren’t mine,” he said, nodding to the boy. “This is Dylan, and the baby is Simon. Their parents abandoned them weeks ago, and somehow Dylan ended up finding this house.”
“And you’ve been living here?” I asked.
The man nodded.
A close-up of a man with a beard | Source: Pexels
“My name is Joe,” he said. “I’ve been here for a few months. I lost my job working as a cleaner in a supermarket. There was a robbery, and the person behind it blamed me. There wasn’t any way to prove my innocence, so I was sent packing. The boys have been with me since they arrived.”
“I’m scared that Simon and I will be separated,” Dylan said. “So, Joe has been caring for us.”
A young boy | Source: Midjourney
“But you cannot live like this,” I said. “You need proper food and care, and a place to sleep. Simon needs more than that. What, he’s a year old? Younger? He cannot survive like this.”
Joe sighed.
“Look, man. I grew up in shelters and foster homes. My childhood was a nightmare. Given the choice, I’d pick these living conditions any day. That’s why I didn’t call social services or try to take these kids in.”
I glanced at Dylan, who was listening intently, holding Simon protectively.
A close-up of a little boy | Source: Midjourney
“And you’re okay with this? There’s no heat in here, and where does the baby sleep? In the stroller?” I asked the boy.
He nodded slowly, a sad smile forming on his face.
“Better than foster care,” he whispered.
“Joe, what exactly do you do to help them?” I asked, softening my tone and trying to fully grasp the situation.
“I share my food, any money I get from odd jobs, and I teach Dylan. He’s a smart boy. We find books at the library or sometimes people give us books at the flea market,” Joe replied.
A man eating a sandwich | Source: Pexels
But despite their reasoning, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was wrong. These boys needed proper care. They needed nutritious food, and I couldn’t tell what state the baby was in.
“I’m going to look around, okay, Joe?” I asked, moving away from the living room.
In the next room, I dialed the police.
They arrived quickly, social services tagging along. The children were taken away, down the hallway of the dilapidated house. Dylan’s eyes were filled with betrayal.
A man holding his head | Source: Midjourney
“I should have broken your phone,” he said.
“This is for the best,” I said, trying to make myself believe it too.
About two weeks later, my secretary buzzed in.
“Edison,” she said. “There’s a man named Joe here to see you.”
I stepped into the hallway, and there was Joe, looking cleaner and more determined than ever.
A man sitting at his desk | Source: Pexels
“I want to visit the boys, sir,” he said. “I tried, but they won’t let me because I’m homeless. I want to change my life. I’ve found a job, cleaning the library by day and cleaning at the gas station by night.”
I was taken aback.
“I want to become their guardian. With the right help, I’ll be able to do that.”
“You’re serious about this?” I asked.
A mop and a bucket in a library | Source: Midjourney
“I am,” he said. “I’ve grown to love them. It’s been horrible without them lately. The silence has been suffocating in the old house.”
I had to admit that I was moved. I didn’t expect Joe to be so caring toward the boys, especially given the circumstances.
“Why don’t you work for me?” I asked him. “We need a cleaner in the office and someone to take over maintenance here. Would you be interested? The hours will be normal, and the wages will be basic but constant.”
A person cleaning | Source: Unsplash
Joe nodded, clearly overwhelmed.
In the next few weeks, Joe proved his dedication. He devoured the law textbooks that I gave him and worked tirelessly.
With my help, he managed to meet the boys a few times, assuring Dylan that he would always come back.
“I’m just getting my life together, my boy,” he told Dylan when Joe and I went for a supervised visit, taking new clothes and school textbooks for Dylan.
A pile of clothing | Source: Midjourney
“And you’ll come back?” Dylan asked.
Joe nodded.
Months later, Joe was finally back on his feet. He managed to get all his documents in order and enrolled in college.
“I’ll pay for it,” I told him. “You just focus on juggling work and college and giving the boys a home. When this is over, we’ll get Dylan and Simon back where they belong.”
Now, Joe is on his way through college, with hopes of attending law school. He rents a little apartment and is fighting to become the boys’ guardian.
A cozy little apartment | Source: Midjourney
What would you have done?
Leave a Reply