|
Mack I have allotted a portion of my day today to think and write about a man who I really did not know that well, a man who, nevertheless, was important to me, a man who made a difference in my life. After knowing Mack Ethridge for twenty plus years, I cannot recall one instance that our paths crossed outside of his shop on Montgomery Blvd. We never met for coffee. We did not attend the same church. We did not share any friends in common. Upon entering his shop last Monday, I was told of Mack's death. I began to realize the impact that he had had on my life. I felt the loss as I looked around the place. I could almost see him in his 5' x 7' office in the back, a spot that was a mirror image of his lobby, plain and simple. Within that lobby, my stunned gaze of remembrance saw no provocative banners of product advertisement, only a small round table and four basic chairs. This was Mack's work world. To my left, was another snapshot.his 15' L-shaped reception counter laden with tightly overlapping repair orders, a mute statement to the sheer volume of work that he was entrusted to do that day by so many. His shop, this austere building, was a place where employed filed through the back door and customers through the front in very deliberate steps, seeking information and accessing solutions from Mack. As I left his place that day, that uncommon Monday, I realized Mack would never see the car that I was about to complete. I guess that I wanted to show him. I guess that I wanted him to see that I had acquired some small measure of an immeasurable amount of knowledge that he had within him about automobiles. I am beholden for the vehicular information that he and his employees unselfishly shared with me on so many occasions in that 20 + year time frame. I am beholden to him for helping me transform my car dreams into automotive realities. In hindsight, I did not know this measured, unassuming, knowledgeable man well, but in hindsight, I now know well the tactics and capabilities of a dream maker. With respect and admiration, Bill Claunch
|
