Dear Bank of Prairie Village Community~
Last January, In the dark of winter, my letter mentioned the days are getting longer. Now we find ourselves approaching June. Yes, the days are getting very long, and our longest day will be June 21.
I have always thought it odd, the official first day of Summer is June 21st – just when the days start shortening. Likewise, I always thought it odd, the official Winter beginning as December 21st – just when the days were getting longer.
As I mentioned, in a pervious letter, about Leap Year, this is all due to the Romans who more or less designed our current calendar.
The Romans embarked on this new calendar, because under their prior calendar, they kept losing days each year – to the point that various harvests were taking place at all the wrong times. Eventually, some tax hungry Emperor felt cheated as his expected crop tax revenues were not coming in during his expected month of budget outflows.
Hence, he demanded the calendar be reworked – so as the harvests would occur approximately the same calendar month each year.
Time does not change human character – or a government’s need for timely tax revenue inflows to match government spending outflows.
The current debt ceiling debate underscores this point. At this point, the burning Washington question is when government will “run out of money.”
To be clear, the government does not run out of money – it just reaches its credit limit. Naturally, the political approach is to simply raise the credit limit, print more money, and keep the spending going. The question of course is whether to keep the spending at the current level or reduce the current spending level.
Fortunately, this letter does not delve into the politics of this question. There seems to be a variety of opinions across the parties.
Rather the purpose of this letter is simply to remind you to enjoy this summer season. Even on this simple issue there is debate. Some claim Summer officially starts “the Last Day of School,” graduation, Memorial Day or the opening of the pools, others will argue it begins when the family drives off to their annual summer vacation.
Regardless of when you start Summer, let’s make this a most memorable one. Put the evening “news and gloom” aside, and simply enjoy what is hopefully, the most relaxing and lazy part of the year.
Yes, it is that simple. Make this the time to enjoy yourself in the sunshine.
Historically, summertime was a time when people talked about summer reading. Book lists were made for the beach, hammock, front porch, lawn chair, or yes in the Lazy Boy in the airconditioned living room.
In my younger days Summer was simply an endless procession of TV reruns – so you really had no choice but to read.
This summer I would challenge you to find a summertime book – and perhaps turn off the TV. Yes, my message is straightforward.
Someone asked if I was going to skip writing a few client letters during these Summer months. My weak return smile indicated if I started skipping client letters it could be a habit.
That is when my friend said, “Bolen, I am not suggesting the bank not to send the letter – I am simply suggesting your don’t need to write the letter yourself.”
I stared at my friend perplexed. Rubbing his temples at my ignorance he explained, “Bolen, what I am saying is simply go on the AI Chat App, ask it to write a monthly client letter from a community bank president about the joys of summer living.
In about 45 seconds the AI Chat App will write a four-page letter for you. To be honest Bolen, the AI Chat Ap will probably write a better letter for you – and there won’t be the usual grammatical issues often found in your letters.”
To stick a dagger in my heart, my friend said, “Bolen, you can use the extra four hours or so you spending writing your monthly letter improving your pathetic golf game. In fact, Bolen, why don’t use the AI Chat, and simply play a round of golf this Memorial Day Weekend. Again, it might improve your pathetic golf game”
My friend left and I spent a great deal of time thinking over his comments. After about 30 minutes, I decided he was wrong. My golf game was not that pathetic – and certainly did not need additional work.
I made a note a note to spend my Memorial Day Weekend working on my clients’ letter.
Perhaps the Big National and Regional Banks will use AI Chat to have some fictitious entity write a fictitious letter about their so called great customer service. Such AI affection seems a little fake to me.
I would rather have a genuine letter, from a real Bank President, who spent some time thinking through what he was saying in the letter.
The President’s grammatical errors only make the letter more authentic.
Yours in a great Summer Season, banking with a community bank, and having genuine Thank You for allowing us to be your Bank and Bankers ~ Dan Bolen
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.”
