Dear Bank of Prairie Village Community~
Recently I had the opportunity to drive my folks from Salina to Kansas City for a couple day visit.
It was a beautiful Spring afternoon. As we drove through a high point on I-70 in the Flint Hills we were greeted with the awesome panoramic views of the vast prairie grass rolling hills Although most East and West coasters consider Kansas a flat flyover state – I’ve always found the Flint Hill a most stunning natural wonder.
Highway traffic through the Flint Hills is usually light. The easy driving and amazing views afford serenity. I could almost feel my folks becoming calmer and more relaxed as they gazed into the Flint Hills filling the horizon.
A friend once said, “Bolen – it’s just amazing, once I get past Topeka heading west into those rolling Flint Hills of prairie grass, I can feel my stress releasing and my blood pressure dropping. I think it’s therapeutic.”
After his comment, I realized I shared his same reaction. On a beautiful day there is something both therapeutic and inspiring seeing the rolling Flint Hills stretching for miles across the horizon in all their glory.
During my folks stay, I subsequently learned there’s a scientific basis to my friend’s observation. While I was running on a treadmill and listening to a podcast, a medical doctor gave a long explanation as to the therapeutic benefits of simply looking up and out at grand vast horizons.
As an example, he asserted how calming and inspiring most people find spending beach time staring into the ocean’s horizon. Similarly, he pointed to the relaxed inspiring feeling of looking at a vast horizon from a high mountain view.
His theory was that such grand horizon viewing somehow releases positive chemicals to the brain’s nervous system.
While huffing on the treadmill, I contemplated his statement. Could looking into grand horizons really produce positive physical benefits? The more I thought about it the more it made surprising sense.
There is something calming and inspiring looking at vast horizons. This is true whether looking at vast horizon from an ocean beach chair, a long golf fairway, a lake shore dock, a mountain ski lift, or driving through the Flint Hills.
As I continued sweating through the treadmill workout, the podcast expert shared an interesting tip. He pointed out that even if your view is narrowly limited such as from a parking lot or neighborhood sidewalk looking up into the horizon periodically will still produce at least a small positive physical benefit. His theory was just the act of looking up and out will help trigger prior positive and inspiring memories of grand horizon views you have mentally stored over time.
The podcast timing was perfect. As I left the workout room and drove home, I scanned the horizon. The sky was a beautiful blue. The scent of flowering Spring blooms carried in the breeze. I could not help but smile in appreciation of nature’s beauty.
My smile continued all the way home. However, as sat down to supposedly relax by turning on a 24-hour news show, I could feel my mood sour. The TV anchor started droning about foreign wars and absurd politic machinations. As much as I like keeping current with world and political events, I realized watching such TV news was neither relaxing nor productive. I decided to take a neighborhood stroll as a better time pursuit.
Once outside I remembered the podcast and again scanned the horizon. I focused on a beautiful sunset. Whether it was that sunset, or the triggering of the many amazing sunset memories I have witnessed over the years of grand prairie wide Western Kansas sunsets my smile swiftly returned.
I made a mental note that when searching for a quick fix moment of invigoration or inspiration to get out of my chair, go outside, and look up and out to the horizon. I’ve found the goofy smile this ritual gives me serves as a quick and positive energy boost.
Whether there is scientific basis for the smile producing horizon gazing as the expert mentioned in the podcast, or just the natural benefits of getting up from my chair and going outside during the beautiful spring season I do not know.
I do know the energy benefits of getting outdoors and looking into the horizon must serve me better than pouring myself yet another cup of coffee or guzzling down yet another energy drink.
As we enjoy this Spring Season and head into the Summer vacation months, let’s make a point of being on the lookout for grand views of the horizon or amazing Sunsets or Sunrises on which to gaze and contemplate.
Let’s store these memories in our mental files and draw on them for quick moments of inspiration and energy. Such mental memories will serve us better than a sugar packed caffeine high of yet another energy drink.
On a side note, I would be remiss if I did not take just a quick moment to mention the Kansas City Business Journal again listed us in April 2023 as among the safest banks in Kansas City.
Thank you for letting us be your bank and bankers, and together let’s keep scanning the horizon of this wonderful Season ~
Dan Bolen ~ Chairman
Bank of Prairie Village
913~707~3369 Cell
Dan.Bolen@BankofPrairieVillage.com
“The Bank of Prairie Village ~ Home of Blue Lion Banking”~ cited March 2020 and~ again in April 2021 & April 2022 by the Kansas City Business Journal as one of the “Safest Banks in Kansas City for Your Money.”
