RIP John Sexsmith



John Sexsmith was good with words. Let's try that again. John Sexsmith was magic with words. He loved to cast spells with words. He loved to use words to make meanings appear and disappear out of thin air. That's what a pun essentially is, right? A bit of hocus focus. 


I first saw Johnny's deftness with the language in a TV news feature sports story he did back in the ITV News/Global Edmonton days. All I can really remember about the piece is that he did his standup in a military tank. "This," he said to the camera, "is the tanks we get?!" Boom. I laughed out loud. 

For years, we kept the joke going. If either of us saw a propane tank or an acetylene tank or a septic tank, we'd send each other a note. The joke grew. If we were chatting about bicycles, someone would use the line, and this is the cranks we get? A Bugs Bunny reference would lead to, and this is the Mel Blancs we get?! An actor in the news: this is the Tom Hanks we get?! A hotdog stand: this is the Fat Franks we get?! And so on, and on. 

"Hey," he wrote me once, "you'll like this. I'm part of a strength and conditioning course/study through Prostate Cancer Canada. Finishing up my workout. A guy I know from the Edmonton Prostate Cancer Support Group is struggling through a plank; it's sort of like a push-up on hold. So I couldn't resist, and said, 'This is the planks we get?!' Got good laughs. Ha-ha." 

Since he died, I have dwelled on that note. There is so much in it that is vintage Johnny. Especially the "Got good laughs. Ha-ha." There's nothing that comes and goes quicker in this world than the sound of a laugh. John's instinct was to not let it go. A good laugh was worth the work to preserve it. Like a few coins in a savings account (sure, okay, the Scotiabanks we get). That was his gift to us. He would not let the good times vanish.

Tanks for the memories, Johnny.



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