Andrew Brooks of Hermiston

How long have you lived in Hermiston?

Off and on pretty much for my entire life.

What do you like about this town?

There’s quite a bit that I like about Hermiston. First of all, there’s the community. It’s close knit. We have festivals, and the city seems to care about its people.

What hobbies do you have?

I don’t have too many. I do play video games. I enjoy roleplaying games and shooters. You name it, I’ve played it. That’s why I work here at GameStop. I’ve been here about six months.

Can you tell me about your customers?

I love my customers. You can’t get better customers than GameStop customers. Everybody coming in here is absolutely happy quite a bit, all the time, because they’re looking at video games, they’re looking at toys, they’re looking at game boards and they’re looking for presents they want to get. You just can’t get a frown in here.

What’s the newest hot thing in gaming right now?

That’s a difficult question. We have consoles coming out constantly. There’s the Xbox Series X and Series S. Then there’s the Playstation 5, the Nintendo Switch. There’s not a bad choice. It just depends on your interests. We have video games, hot sellers coming out constantly. There’s a new Harry Potter game that’s coming out that I can’t wait for. Pokemon is always a big one with the kids. There’s collectibles. Pops are one of the biggest things we have here, and statues. There are statues from Todd McFarlane. We’re proud to carry his work.

Is this stuff only for kids?

No, not at all. Well, maybe it’s for kids of all ages. You can say that.

Are you a kid at heart?

Absolutely. You have to be young on the inside to stay young on the outside.

Do you have plans for the summer?

My friend wants to take a trip across the country, and I’d like to go with him. He wants to see the Atlantic Ocean, and that’s something I’ve seen before when I was homeless for many years. From 16 to 22, I traveled across the country back and forth.

That’s a very dangerous thing, isn’t it?

It can be, a little bit. I don’t advocate it. I’ve been in dangerous situations in my life, but I made it out. I’m still here. You just got to have faith in life.