09/06/2024
I wanted to write a tribute to one of my clients, Johnny Lyne, who I learned passed away.
Johnny was a very sweet, shy, and humorous Irishman who grew up in Limerick and came to Canada to work. He had a very thick accent, and I always enjoyed my treatments with him, laughing at his jokes while struggling to understand what he was saying. Johnny fit the mould of a lot of my typical clientele - a hard working man that travelled to work for weeks at a time and would come to Calgary for his few days off and then head to work again. These men work hard, come back sore to spend time with their families, and during their off time often book a massage treatment to help their recovery. Then, usually within a week, head off to work again to support their families - gone for long stretches of time. Often, we are not talking about a small commute, they either fly or drive many hours to get to their workplace. I feel for them, their families who miss them, and the wives who adapt to a single parenting life style. They never complain, they work hard, and are proud of what they do.
Maybe because of my size and athletic nature, I have a lot of these types of clients. I am able to dig in deep and help them with their pain, and I am always happy to be a part of their recovery process - knowing that they can go back to work a little less sore. It also becomes a routine for a lot of these gentlemen.
Johnny was a little different though, he did not have a family. He lived alone and would travel to different work sites across Alberta and BC, making his way as a new Canadian. Over the past few years I have treated him quite a few times, happy to be able to support him in his time of rest. He had dreams of “settling down”, and was in the process of purchasing his very first house. The one thing I can tell you was he had a gentle soul and kind nature.
It had been a while since I had seen Johnny, but in a busy clinic, time can slip by before you know it. Chart notes can reveal it had been 6 months since the last treatment, when it really felt like just a week. I was treating another Irishman who knew Johnny, and I asked how he was doing. He replied to me in his soft Irish accent, “that’s a sad story, that one. Johnny was returning home from work and got into a head on collision in the spring, during our last big snow storm”. “Is he ok?!” I had asked completely shocked. “No, I’m sorry to say he died”.
Johnny’s body was taken back to Ireland where his family had his funeral, but I wanted to share his memory.
I wish everyone of my worker clients that travels to their job site a safe journey. And I thank all my clients for letting me be their massage therapist, and having that very special role in their lives. You are all very special to me.
Sincerely,
Andrea Stevens, RMT
