When reviewing the entries from the 2020 Rural Kansas Photography Contest, I felt as though I had taken a minivacation. Photo after photo transported me somewhere beautiful, calm, inviting, almost surreal.
From a golden wheat field to a weathered wooden dock adjacent an inviting pond, I wanted to be anywhere but sitting in my office with face mask and hand sanitizer at the ready in case I needed to talk with a coworker or get a glass of water.
Some simple stuff is not so simple these days. But the simple pleasures in life can still be found around the corner as the contest photos reminded me. A windmill at sunset. A vibrant monarch butterfly resting within a patch of red flowers. A majestic eagle soaring gracefully overhead. Golden hay bales dotting the landscape. The Milky Way. Foggy mornings fishing on a lake. Kansas sunsets. Abundant wildlife in their habitat. Reflections of the Earth’s beauty on a farm pond. Children immersed in their rural environment. Healthcare heroes.
The good stuff is still there; it’s all around us. See for yourself beginning on Page 12 and at kumc.edu/community-engagement/rural-health/rural-kansas-photography-contest.
Best wishes in the new year.
