I lived next door to Dr. Mack back when Kelly and I were young playmates and best friends. I have many memories of this man---from all the animal heads on the wall to having a dead octopus smushed into a large glass jar. What comes to mind first for me is the day Kelly and I decided we wanted to see what that octopus looked like outside of the jar. So, we got another jar that looked just like the original jar and carried it all down to a large culvert where we often played. We figured we'd look the thing over, then put it into the new jar and Kelly's dad would be none the wiser. What we did not anticipate was the smell once we broke the jar. Not only did we find we could not hold our breaths long enough to gather up the thing again, neither one of us actually wanted to touch it. Plus, the fresh air was doing rapid damage.
Dr. Mack was very stern with us when we confessed what we'd done and he punished us accordingly. But, I remember Dad later telling me that "Ed" laughed so hard when he told him about it that tears came to their eyes. Dad and Dr. Mack were good friends during the years they lived next door. Dr. Mack remained my dentist until Kelly took over the care of my teeth. We still talk fondly about those good old days, even when I'm in the chair, my mouth full of dental devices.
I love the Mack family dearly.
