Success in the Making

Well, for those who can't read the "About Me" column that's strategically placed to the right of my blog, I'm Julius C. Butler (friends call me Ju-Ju for short). Like most guys, I enjoy videogames, horror flicks and street hockey. Most people are surprised about the last hobby of mine. People assume that LGBT men cannot play sports, but on the contrary, I never found a sport more freeing and motivating more than hockey and roller derby. I've been playing street hockey as soon as I learned how to ride skates without falling. I like to think I'm pretty normal. I laugh, I get upset and sometimes it feels like I have the whole world on my back. My favorite scary movies are vintage horror classics like night of the living dead and Nightmare on elm street, so anything from the 60's to the 80's are personal favorites of mine.I like to listen to any variety of music, but I must say hip hop today is just irritating! I plan on eventually becoming an actor in the future, as well as a proud father and husband. I want my child (most preferably a son) to know how much blood, perspiration and tears I've invested into a better future for myself and my family. when I get up in the morning, one thing that motivates me is baggage from my past, constantly being told that I was a bad person that would never accomplish any aspiration in my life. I'm on a constant personal mission to debunk those negative thoughts. Another motivation of mine is the fear of becoming another statistic, another homeless young man of color on the streets. I have accomplished so much in such little time and it makes me both proud and self-motivated. I know that this is only the beginning for me on this long hard journey we all call life, but i'm not looking for an easy way out, i just need a possible obstacle to master.

West Florence High School: A Teenage Hell

  If you could ask a group of young individuals about their high school experience, a  large amount of those people would have less then pleasant things to say. I am no different from that majority. I went to high school in a small town in South Carolina, where people use their own religious beliefs as a tool of biggotry. There were always speculations about who and what I was as a person. I was a constant target for homophobia and racism from peers, teachers and family alike. for a long time in my high school life, I was an outsider to society. I was at a constant battle with myself at first and wasn't even sure if I knew what I was. eventually I grew tired of rumors and constantly being bothered and thought to myself "If they knew, maybe they'll leave me alone". I couldn't have been more wrong. I gained some respect and made true friends, but overall I couldn't handle high school anymore and dropped out.

The Power of Speech

While growing up, we are all introduced to a form of English that many in the professional world would consider to be "broken", however I like to call it casual. Without realizing, the words we say (and the way we say them) can prove to be harmful in the job searching process. Some people believe a person's usage of words is based on the environment of said individual. Many will argue that it's based solely on the language of a person's home environment, while others believe that it's based more on the social environment and the need to fit in with fellow peers. For me, I was a rebel against my family and hated their uneducated speech, but I never felt the need to talk exactly like my peers growing up. I decided to educate myself by reading "National Geographic" and watching nature documentaries, which helped me escape my own reality. I've noticed Casual English varies with every individual and mine just so happens to be a combination between what many in our society consider "broken" and "proper". Either way, in spite of the office environment's demand for a more formal use of words, I feel confident in my ability to quickly adjust and adapt. I've been reading and writing at a 12th grade level since I was in 4th grade. I do notice that sometimes I'll say something that's not exactly appropriate for the business world, but its a growth area I'm working on.