Sauna Time

I look forward to sitting in the sauna at the university gym. I’m in it two to three times a week after boxing. Not only can I work up a heavy sweat, but I learn a lot about student life. Most of what I overhear is interesting, although it can be a little strange, occasionally unfathomable. The unfathomable part often has to do with speech. Sometimes, I have a hard time following their cadence and accent. I catch only the gist of things, maybe every fourth word. I’ve had to ask students to repeat themselves–there seems to be an epidemic of mumbling going around campus. It couldn’t possibly be me.

The other day I sat in the sauna alone, rubbing my sore elbow. Sometimes I overextend the jab and feel it in my elbow and forearm afterward. The stiffness can last for days, even weeks. A bearded student came in, said hi, and asked how I was doing. I told him fine and asked him how he was. He asked again and I told him fine again. Then he looked at me funny. I looked back. He explained that he had asked how long I planned on being in the sauna. I don’t know why he asked that, but students like to play music. So, maybe he was being polite and was willing to wait until I left, unlike the faculty member who one day assumed the lotus position and hummed “Om” for ten minutes straight. It’s not exactly spacious, the sauna.

I told the bearded kid I would be just a few more minutes and then made a joke of it, adding that I was still fine. That led to a conversation. Turns out he knew two of the student coaches who introduced me to boxing three years ago when I joined the club. They have since graduated and moved on. I told him about my time in academia, and he said he was in the business school, a finance major. We talked about the school, his experience in it, and his plans post-graduation. Then way led on to way, as Robert Frost said.

One of the interesting things about this generation of students, particularly in this area of California, is their interest in business. Many are entrepreneurs already. This student had his own business recycling lenses from disposable cameras for use by professional photographers in their cameras. I told him I didn’t realize that was a thing but that it must be very technical. It also struck me as eco-friendly with its recycling of used parts. I told him if he could work out the product, supply chain, and market, it could be a great business model.

My experience with entrepreneurs, especially young ones, is that they go through a series of ideas, even startups, before landing on the thing that makes the most sense for them and has the greatest potential, not just in the business plan but in reality. Whether or not his lens business takes off, I’m sure he will learn a lot about what to do and, even more importantly, what not to do. He seemed to respond when I told him that the greatest challenge in small business is hiring and firing. Everything rests on personnel. Then he pointed out that we were at opposite ends of the spectrum. I am retired while he is about to enter the workforce not just as a young entrepreneur but a young man.

“So, do you have any advice for me?” he asked.

I don’t get asked this a lot. Well, maybe I do but in less direct ways, such as what I would do in a certain situation. It reminded me of another sauna conversation with two boxers, competitors at the regional and national levels. They were struggling with preparing for bouts while trying to do their schoolwork and maintain their grade point average. One dabbled in day trading and hadn’t slept in days. Both were exhausted and stressed. They asked me what they could do to improve their boxing. I had to take a few moments to think about it. What could I tell them that they didn’t already know?

“Beyond sleep?” I asked. “Breathe. Just keep breathing.” I know my answer worked, because a hush settled on everyone in the sauna. I think it helped establish me as a “sauna sage.”

So, with the bearded student I took my time again. I figured out hours later that I should have told him never to give up. That would have been good advice, since there have been moments in my life when I gave up and others when I stuck it out to the end, bitter or otherwise. I have found sticking it out to be much better. Then again, I hear W.C. Fields in the background saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There’s no point in being a damn fool about it.”

I ended up pointing out that he spent four years on a Jesuit campus and had an opportunity to study theology and spirituality. So, take those lessons and practice discernment, which is the Jesuit charisma. That is, ask whether God is present in a situation or relationship. Are you being drawn to it by God or purely by ego? Learn to find God and follow him. You can do it in business, relationships, challenges, crises, opportunities, anything.

Simple, right? Not really. There is a practice for doing so that requires time and devotion. It’s not something you can cover in a sauna sitting. Now, here’s the thing: advice like that won’t sound corny or ridiculous if you actually believe it. I don’t think it sounded that way–at least I hope not. He thought about it, nodding. Then I got up, lightheaded from the heat. We fist-bumped, and I headed to the shower. I hope it’s what he needed to hear.

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