Annamarie Stone

We have all heard the quotes about not looking back or just keeping our eyes forward, but I have come to find that some of the most beautiful things are those that are behind us.  

When it came to picking a school I knew I wanted to stay close to home. I decided I would go to Mizzou, and then I had to choose where I would live. After some deliberation I came to the conclusion that I would live at home so I could continue my SAE, save some money, and live closer to the members that I am serving this year. Although driving is not my favorite task and Columbia traffic can test my nerves, there has been one good thing that leaving the house at 6:30 a.m. has brought me. Each morning when I get into my car the sun is just starting to peer over the golden harvest ready corn and each time I look into my rearview mirror that is what I see. After seeing the breathtaking view morning after morning, it got me thinking that if all I did while I drove was look forward then – one it would get monotonous, two I wouldn’t know who was behind me, and three I would miss the sunrise. 

Sometimes in life we tend to only look forward and forget about the beautiful views that are behind. When we only look forward we become numb to our surroundings just like the views get monotonous. When we only look forward we forget about who is following us and looking to us for guidance. When we only look forward we sometimes forget about some of the most joyous times in our life. I encourage you to look into the rearview mirror. Remember the accomplishments, the friendships, the smiles, and then remember that although there are beautiful moments behind us just like the sunrise, there is something beautiful that lays ahead for us. 

Hey, y’all, I am Annamarie and I love taking pictures. I live on a small diversified livestock operation in Audrain County. On the farm, I have a small herd of purebred Charolais cattle, two pigs, and cornish cross broilers, which aid me in owning my own business — Stoney Creek Meats and More. Through my business, I also sell mums and have determined the best way to produce the birds through my Agriscience Research Projects. 

When I am not on the farm or working at a boutique, it is almost certain that at golden hour you can find me behind my camera capturing moments of beauty. Recently, I had the opportunity to take engagement pictures, and I enjoyed every minute of it even though the session did come with some issues. The first issue was the lighting because we were outside and the sun was so bright it was hard to make the couple look their best without encountering glares from the sun. The second obstacle I faced was the brush that kept interfering with the pictures. While the pond was pretty and the field of wildflowers were gorgeous, the brush just seemed to keep get in the way of  my photo taking. 

Time after time, I stood in the same spot and tried to miss the brush by either bending down or leaning one way or the other. I just could not seem to miss those hurdles. I found myself frustrated and angry. Then it hit me. To get the result I wanted, I had to move and change what the lens was seeing to avoid the brush being in the photo. 

Sometimes life is like that. We know that we are getting frustrated with our situation and surroundings and try to come at the problem from different angles, yet we refuse to move because we are afraid we might just fail once again. My experience as a photographer is just like that. I got the lighting perfectly right to have the photo look the best, yet the brush was still intruding on my photos. I was afraid to move and start again. Once I relocated myself, I was able to get a better photo without the ugly eye sores. Our personal life can be just like that; relocating from a comfortable, yet problematic situation can be challenging but it is there where we might just get the best outcome.