He walks in late and immediately I can relate.
directly in front of the professor and takes a seat across the room. The assignment is given and everyone is on edge. Each student is instructed to pair up with another to interview them and I'm relieved when Alex Flippin takes a seat next to me. I quickly realize that long awkward silences have no place here. .
He's a blue jeans kind of guy; the type of person that makes you feel laid back and comfortable. Perhaps it is because he enjoys the little things like beer and open windows. We find ourselves having grown up in the same town of Little Rock, Arkansas. We talk about the Rivermarket. I think to myself that he is the sort of person to appreciate the open air, fresh foods, and endless amphitheater possibilities. Something in his manner makes me wish we could have this consultation over a plate of fries at Hoffbrau, his favorite bar in town.
Present situations tend to shed light on people and so we talk about them. Alex has four sisters but confesses that it hasn't helped him understand women at all. His stepfather owns a Mexican restaurant chain and suddenly I'm hungry for cheese dip. Like most students in the room Alex is pursuing his degree at the University of Arkansas. We both find that we are at the upper end of the age bracket and laugh about it. Alex is focusing his studies on broadcast and journalism and is looking forward to an internship with UATV. However, he admits that May cannot come fast enough. .
Conversation stirs and his eyes flicker when he mentions his band Wedington Drive. He plays the guitar and he can't tell me fast enough that his favorite artist is Zakk Wylde. Immediately I envision Alex standing on the stage at Juanita's with that special blend of talent and ease. He tells me that the soundtrack to his life would best be illustrated by the Deftones and he would rather be deaf than blind because then he could at least feel the music.