Was my first assignment for my English class, I was limited to one page. It’s short but really ME… well Me in a nutshell and a bit dramatic. (ha!)
Known for his attitude, many vices, steadfast opinions, and the inability to simply shut up, Luis Alaniz tends to push all the wrong buttons in order to get the outcome he wants. Loving and witty in the eyes of those closest to him; yet uncompromisingly harsh in minds of many others.
Everyone has a start and Luis’s start was, from his perspective, largely uneventful. “I was in many ways… the normal kid, very well behaved and somewhat boring I guess. I remember sitting around thinking up ways to have fun and the typical hot-wheels just would do it! I’d have to write something, build something, anything other than the little boy norms. I didn’t yo-yo, I wasn’t caught up in Power Rangers, I was too proud, and mature in my own eyes. I was an odd little dweeb, I mean, my first career choice was to grow up and be a weather guy, not the common fireman or astronaut. I was also 11 or 12 years old when I decided I wasn’t another South Texas Democrat, breaking away from family rule in this way was always confrontational, even at that age, and it still is actually. Election years get fun around family, really fun. Maybe someday, I’ll be disowned if I’m lucky.”
Jokes aside, Luis does not shy away from his vices. On the contrary, he tends to flaunt them frequently to get a laugh. “I’ve always been one to poked fun at myself, largely to get the whole Luis-is-a-jerk thing out of the way from the get-go. It sets an incalculable tone when with a group of people. It Is like, yes I’m a jerk, and boring, and a bit of a screwball, but there’s always the option to bug-off. ”
Being a conformist simply is not his style and It Is well known among those who know him best like his mom: “As his mother, I know that he’s been stubborn since day one and never seems to fully agree with anyone; Always vocal, almost always critical and it isn’t so much about him trying to be different– as much as it is him thinking that he’s right and others are wrong a lot of the time.”
During the course of his life, he has looked up to a plethora of people. “Besides the strong role models in my family, I’ve looked up and almost tried to mimic a wide range of people.” His list includes the late Johnny Carson, media titan Rupert Murdoch, former senator Bill Frist, Kurt Cobain, and being an 80′s boy– synth-pop legends Vince Clarke and Andy Bell of Erasure. “When people can make big things happen and truly surface from nothing, it’s really inspiring; I admire a horde of individuals for what they’ve accomplished.“
With a few choice words Luis sums himself up: “I’m always evolving without exactly changing; I’m not one to get caught up in the boring rhythm of life– but that’s just who I am. I’m not entirely sure where life is taking me, but I’m sure I’ll reach a point of euphoric realization eventually. Until then though, I’ll be having fun.”