STRONG COMMUNITY
Together We Emerge :
Becoming Our Best Selves in the Stillwater Community
I can still recall the first afternoon my soon-to-be husband and I were out and about to grab ( Hideaway !) pizza on a Friday afternoon in Stillwater . We had been strolling near campus , and I was suddenly aware of this excited , welcoming energy — and the color orange — surrounding us .
62
COMMERCE | 2021 P r o fi l e Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Had we missed a big event ? What was going on ? No place I had ever been felt quite like this .
I approached a kind woman in an OSU shirt and asked her what was happening in town that day … we were new to the community . She pulled me in and embraced me with a little bit of encouragement , a great connection , and a whole lot of love , and told me in her beautiful southern drawl , “ Honey . This is just Stillwater on Fridays . It ’ s what we do together . You ’ re gonna love it here .”
She was right .
In a place I had anticipated being a stop in the road , I have fallen completely head over heels and have called this “ home ” for more than 13 years . We have grown from newlyweds to parents of three amazing children ( and three ornery dogs ), and my now family of five ( or is it eight ) has encountered that same embrace of encouragement , connection and love everywhere we turn .
A chiropractor ’ s invite to a Thanksgiving meal ; a pastor ’ s unwavering support through every single bit of what life brings ; a therapist ’ s couch to sort through all the thoughts and feelings and fear ; colleagues and networks of individuals wanting nothing but the best for your successes ; and members of the city government who care and cry and do what they know to
Amie Haar is the founder of Emerge , Consulting based in Stillwater . “ Emerge ” is a business that specializes in coming alongside others by teaching individuals , teams , and organizations how to show up best for themselves and those around them . With several years of experience in coaching , training , facilitation , mentoring and speaking , Haar pays intentional attention in her curriculum towards communication , relationship building , and presence . It ’ s a business that was created in her head with the Stillwater community at heart .
be right for us . Education and opportunity . Diversity and awareness . Grace and gratitude . The overwhelming giving ( and giving and giving ) of time , talent and resources . And friendships formed in every space you can think of — dear , trusted , treasured friendships .
That full , tight , endearing embrace of this entire community is witnessed by any who arrive here for much time at all . It shows up in tragedy , in celebrated success , in a parade hundreds of people form because someone turns 107 on a Thursday and has been an instrumental part in the forming — and no doubt the nurtured — grounds for “ Emerge , Consulting ” to grow on .
When I go into an organization , or step on a Zoom call , or begin a training , or sit down for a coaching session , it is to do unto others what this community has done for me . To embrace them tightly . To let them know they can do the hard , important work ( encouragement ). To listen to their story ( connect ). And to see their value for who they are and what they bring to the table ( love ).
If you are visiting , let me show you . If you are new , let me welcome you . If you are seasoned , let me remind you .
You ’ re gonna love it here .
Story by Amie Haar Photo courtesy KatieLew Photography