The Holidays will soon to be in the rearview mirror, and 2022 is just around the bend. Are you wondering how you’re going to get everything done in time? As a young girl growing up in Minnetonka with six siblings and two parents in the house, I can still hear my Mom say, “If only I had an extra pair of hands.” I remember thinking, “You’d look pretty funny if you did!” How could I possibly understand then that she was really just asking for help? Maybe then she could have taken a break. It reminds me of a commercial on TV where a housewife’s busy schedule made her want to pull her hair out one moment, and the next she found refuge in a tub of Calgon bath beads. As she settles in, she exclaims, “Calgon, take me away!”
Many studies have been done proving that our bodies, and especially our brain, need down time. Dr. Dan Halvorsen PhD from the University of Minnesota believes “it’s extremely important to manage one’s stress as it’s occurring in one’s life. Particularly when it’s becoming acute; in the moment.” Dan explains to me, “One would be way ahead health- and performance-wise if they learned to put the skids on, and find an immediate escape.”
When people ask what I’ve been doing lately, I tell them, “I’m just very busy being busy!” Truth is, I really am busy all of the time, and affording details of my schedule takes time. So, while I am not going to jump into a tub of bath beads, I have found a couple of ways to escape. Spending a few moments with Andrea Bocelli does it for me. Whether via the Internet, or his CD, his music doth sooth the savage beast. Since I don’t speak Italian, I’d never sing along. I found this was actually better, not having to remember the lyrics. It allowed me to absorb only his tones. After a few minutes, my spirits are lifted and my batteries renewed. I’ve also found that one hour with a vintage coloring book, watercolors, and a great paint brush has the same effect on me. To say that these two events are therapeutic is an understatement.
All of this got me asking myself, what do other people do to re-center or regain their balance? Without purchasing an airline ticket, how does one get away? I talked to three individuals who represent three distinctly different lifestyles: a politician, a media mogul, and a professional athlete, to get my answer.
Well known Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips was visually elated with my question posed to him at a recent Excelsior Rotary meeting. I begin with, “My question has nothing to do with politics, but I was wondering, with such an impossible and reoccurring trek back and forth to Washington, what is your Calgon moment?” Phillips tosses his head back and chuckles, “That’s got to be one of the best questions I have ever been asked, and thank you for asking it!” He continues with his answer, “I love to dig in the earth. I love history, and I love to search for artifacts that may have a story. As a matter of fact, it’s something that my kids enjoy as well.”
The Congressman adds, “Twenty years ago, I was seeking out old Phillips spirits bottles for our company collection and came across the Northstar Historical Bottle Club. I went to one of their meetings and learned about bottle digging. Soon thereafter, I went on my first dig with Dave Labno and Steve Ketchum of Edina, whose collection of Minnesota bottles is second to none. Since then, I try to go on one big dig a year, and several small digs with my kids. The last big dig was the privy of an old rooming house across the street from the Chaska police department this past September.” When I ask how often he actually finds the time to dig with his kids, Dean tells me, “At least twelve times a year.”
With Dean’s answer being so interesting, I am eager to know how others get away. I pose the same question to a long-time friend, KOOL 108’s and KARE 11’s Lee Valsvik. Lee’s always-positive and melodic voice has been on our airwaves for the past 40 years, on both on radio and television. Once a few years back, Lee invited me to co-host her three and a half hour show. I remember having to get up at 4:00 A.M. just to do her show. Observing Lee move from one topic to the next, slip into a commercial or two, all while juggling the weather report, and the music selections, was crazy fun! I remember she tossed a script at me and said, “Hey Rebecca, you’re accents are so great, read this next commercial with your British voice for me would you?” That might have been the first time I had experienced what is termed, “Good Stress.”
With a full time job, kids, a partner, Doug the dog, and tons of guest appearances, who better to ask, “What takes you away?” Without the slightest hesitation, Lee answers, “I grab the boat keys and say ‘hey Doug, let’s go on a coffee cruise!’” She elaborates further, “I think both Doug and I try to clear our minds and think of NOTHING really. We just like to listen and enjoy the lake for ourselves before the world wakes up. It’s typically an hour of bonding with Doug and nature. I guess if I couldn’t go out on the lake, I would head to the golf course and tee it up.”
Last, but certainly not least, is a man who is not your “average Joe.” He’s “Super Joe” in my opinion. A former catcher and first baseman for the Minnesota Twins, he’s Joe Mauer. I ask Joe if life has slowed down since retiring in 2018 and moving to his Wayzata Bay home on Lake Minnetonka. He laughs,“No, not really. Actually, it’s probably busier.”
I’m curious about Joe’s day to day life, so I ask him what keeps him so busy. “For the past 20 years or so, my wife Maddie and I have become very involved in fundraising. Whether it’s for Gillette Children’s Hospital, or the Highland Friendship Club, an organization that helps kids with disabilities. Maddie and I grew up in St. Paul and we enjoy giving back to our community and state.” Joe continues, adding that baseball is still very much a part of his life. “I also try to spend every moment I can with my kids, either coaching my son and my twin daughters, or just hanging out with them.”
While it’s clear that Joe’s hobbies and volunteer work keep him busy, I finish up our interview with the question I’m really here to ask, “Ok Joe, how do you get away?” He shares something that focuses more on his own health and wellness. “I’ve found that infrared saunas are fantastic for relaxing my mind and body. Beyond that, I just try to get outside; anything outside is great! Sometimes I head to the golf course for a quick ‘nine’.”
I think it’s so important to recognize when one needs a break. Whether it’s escaping into a book, 30 minutes of exercise, nine holes of golf, or even a little Bocelli, if it “takes you away” long enough to put a smile on your face, "You’ll be way ahead health- and performance-wise.”