(my son, Justin, and our puppy, Teddy Bear)
For years, people, especially Christian parents, judge my son. I know because either other parents, kids or Justin tells me. They think Justin is a negative influence on their kids because he is goofy. They think he’s immature, so they want to protect their kids from my son. That in itself is comical because Justin is clean and sober and living a good life. He’s a man of quiet faith. He’s 19 and he’s had only one girlfriend for almost four years now. Precious high school sweethearts.
I find it so interesting that parents think my son is a threat of any sort.
Justin is a tender heart who befriends kids who are different. He sees something valuable in them that others often overlook. In 6th grade, Justin was the guy who spent his lunch hours with the boy who was different because he had a stroke as a baby. Justin was his only friend and his mom teared up and thanked me.
Justin speaks out on issues that bug him, like bullying. He hates that, and he hates animal abuse.
Justin posts random funnies and words of encouragement on Twitter. Sometimes he quotes scripture.
Justin loves babies and kids of all ages. He’s a kid magnet. Kids jump on his back and pull on him for hours and Justin takes it. It’s amazing how many kids love him. On vacation recently, I noticed how babies and toddlers kept looking at him. Justin engaged with them by making funny faces. Of course he did..
Justin is not the negative influence some may think he is. He’s a teddy bear. But trying to convince religious parents of that is a different story. Some people are more concerned about keeping up a public image for their kids than getting to know the character of their kids’ friends, like my son.
Isn’t it funny we can judge someone without even knowing them?
Just because my son and friends are a modern-day goofballs, like The Three Stooges, they are considered unappropriate and not Christ-like.
I beg to differ.
One thing Justin will never do is engage with someone who is badgering him. He will not cut down someone who is cutting him down. I’ve found myself ready to fight for him when his friends mock him for what he does for a living. I think, why won’t Justin speak up and defend himself? He doesn’t. I don’t know why. But then I remember Jesus who chose to be silent under false accusations.
Silence can be a weapon.
I’m not saying Justin is perfect. He’s not. Not at all. No one is. Justin has his issues just like the rest of us. I’m not going to list his personal struggles here. That’s not my place. If he wants to talk about that, he can, but I won’t. Not here anyway.
I just wish people would give Justin a chance and not put him in some religious box.
Justin is Justin.
Justin is different.
And I believe Justin is who GOD made him to be.
My husband and I have raised Justin to embrace his creative spirit. He’s been a silly guy since the day he was born. I would not snuff out the greatest gift I see in my son just so he can fit in. Derek and I have taught him how important what he does is. Making people laugh is huge!! Laughter is healing and so needed in our days. Some of the emails Justin has received are life-changing. Kids tell him how depressed they were and then they found his YouTube channel . They say how laughing for hours helped them…and then they thank him.
Who’s to say that the gift of laughter is immature?
Some of us need to lighten up and laugh.
God created laughter, didn’t He? And laughter is for our benefit and our joy.
Yes, my son lives differently than other kids. Justin is goofy. Witty. Light-hearted. Creative.
Justin is now 19, a college student, and he makes his living as a YouTube prankster. One of his JStuStudios videos went viral last December. What fun to see over a million hits, pushing two million now. Justin and the crew make clean, family-friendly videos. No cussing. No sexual gestures. Just silly, off the wall stuff.
Justin and his friends go out to public places and pranks unexpected people. Sometimes they fall, make weird sounds or do the worm. Remember the show Candid Camera? Well, they do stupid things in order to capture faces and expressions and comments. It’s funny. It’s slapstick. And yes, it’s different than most young adults who get their first job making tacos at Taco Bell.
Justin lives life through a lens of creativity and laughter.
And as his mom, I’m perfectly okay with that.
I love him.
He’s my son.
*************
(PS I’m writing this in light of a car wreck that my son and his friends were in yesterday. They escaped when only minor scrapes, but they could have been crushed or killed. Life is short and I will always encourage my son to live as BIG and LOUD as he can until the Good Lord takes him home. If others don’t like him, that’s okay. I love him just as he is. He’s my prankster son.)
Justin on Facebook – click HERE
Justin on YouTube – click HERE
Justin on Twitter – click HERE
To watch Justin’s random videos on Keek – click HERE
(And lastly, YES, Justin cleans up his public messes. He knows if he wants to continue comedy, he must do it with integrity and responsibility.)
Here’s another video of Justin being interviewed by our local news. I pop in for a few words. 