Zain Mackey

Life Artist

Stress

Fear The Dentist Part 2: Learning The Hard Way

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Hear me out on this 3 part series of fear and loathing in the dental chair. Today I’ll give you what I learned straight off:   Speak up and take no sh** from people who don’t have your best interest at heart; Take care of and love yourself like no one else can; If you

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Fear The Dentist Part 1: The Dreaded Dry Socket

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My friend Charlene doesn’t fear the dentist. She’s never had a cavity and it’s just a friendly visit for her. Ok, she did have a rough experience with her wisdom teeth and the pain meds, but I’m talking about the regular dentist visit, not the oral surgeon stuff. Not me. I fear the dentist. They’re

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Bunny Panic But No Thump

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We were all tired, it was late and the drive home seemed long. Ken was driving, my daughter Dakota riding shotgun, sister Mary and I drowsing in the back seat of the CRV. “There’s a bunny,” Dakota says quietly as we drive the country road. Instantly I’m awake and alert. Ken doesn’t slow down. “Bunny,”

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Clearly, You’re On The Menu

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Center Pointe, Indiana has an Exotic Feline Rescue Center, home to about 200 big cats representing 9 different species. The Center has tours but you’re not allowed to touch or interact with the cats. You’d be a fool to try. These are carnivores on steroids. The cats are in large, secure fenced-in areas but once

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Me and Mr, Jones have a thing going on…

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Every summer I wave at Mr. Jones when I see him outside tending his tomatoes. He’s the king of tomatoes, corn, beans, potatoes, zucchini and lettuce. I wave at him and he always waves back. Mr. Jones loves his downhome veggie patch. And I love Mr. Jones because he’s doing exactly what makes him happy.

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I Don’t Wanna Die in Spearfish, South Dakota!

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My ex and I moved to Spearfish, South Dakota in the ‘80s. Super small town but beautiful country. So different from the green forests where we both grew up. At 8am it was around 100 degrees with no humidity to speak of. Beautiful, bright wavy heat that lasted until mid-day when the clouds rolled in.

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My Teeth Started Doing the Cha-Cha…

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Violent chills rocked my arms, my throat swelled, my knees knocked and it was 50/50 whether I was going to fall down. I got scared. In the space of an hour I was sick, sick, sick. I knew I’d bite the thermometer into little mercury pools so scratch that. I warmed up a rice bag

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No Kidding, I Swear Her Heart Has Ears

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I had fish tacos with an old friend yesterday. The kind of friend you can admit to that you screwed up or were a crappy, paranoid, fearful jerk and they still have your back. I had a personal problem gnawing at me that I needed to whine about, question and explore. I wanted a no-crap

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Fear and Change Walk Into a Bar…

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Fear and Change walk into a Bar… I know change is scary. I’m talking real fear and change, the lasting kind, the kind that makes your hair stand on end but you do it anyway. If you’re like me fearing change sometimes brings out the stubborn goat in you so that you do things to

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