Change Never Changes: Elephant Rocks State Park and Danielle

Thomas Smugala
5 hours ago
4 min read

What is change? Everything changes. Change is every transition. Just look at the word CHANGE — it screams change. From personal growth, societal transformations, scientific theories, organizations, time and space, environments, challenges and opportunities, life and death—for better or worse, change is the only thing one can count on.

Some changes take mere nanoseconds to occur, others take billions of years, and the rest are all busy making plans for change. From the beauty stylist transforming your hair into a new you, to the hard granite stones at Elephant Rocks State Park—everything changes, and we all should embrace change and roll with it.

Elephant Rocks Missouri State Park. Danielle Halbert.

Elephant Rocks State Park is one of our favorite places in the kingdom—that won't change.

Recently, we met up with a change agent who is busy making people look and feel better about themselves. This talented woman is capable of making big changes for her clients faster than the slowly eroding stones at Elephant Rocks, but just as relevant as far as the universe is concerned. Meet Beauty and Hair Stylist Danielle Halbert, and her definition of change.

Meet Beauty and Hair Stylist Danielle Halbert. She's no stranger to change.

I am Danielle Halbert. I am 36 years old and the owner of Styled by Danielle Halbert Salon. My Family has lived in this area since the 1800's, and I was born and raised here as well. My great-great-grandmother owned a cafe on Main Street in Potosi and had a second location in Flat River, now Park Hills. I guess that is where I get my entrepreneurial spirit from.

Rosey cheeks to match rosey rocks—19° F during the shoot.

Cape Girardeau, Missouri — https://visitcape.com/

Somethings change slower than others, but...

For me, style is all about self-expression, which is why I wanted to become a hairstylist in the first place. Style is a way to tell people who you are without ever having to say a word. Style can be quiet and modest, or it can scream and shout. Style, whether it be hair, makeup, or clothing, tells a story about who you are as a person, and my job is to help you tell your story through hair and makeup. I get to be with people at the happiest and saddest times of their lives and everything in between. I see their style evolve over the years, keeping up with the trend. My own style has changed tremendously over the last decade. I've had everything from platinum shaved hair to the long natural hair you see today. The beautiful thing about style and hair is that you can change it whenever you feel like, and there are no boundaries. You can create anything.

You cannot stop change. Never, ever, never!

A good photograph is like a time machine recording change before it happened.

Sooner than later, the winds of change sweep us all away.

Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital. Dr. Angela Ware, Breast Surgeon, Metis Breast Care. — https://stegenevievehospital.org/

Our changing room for the changes.

Danielle has a cute one woman show at her salon filled with eclectics and other weapons of change.

My studio is located in Potosi, Missouri. I have been a solo stylist since 2019. The thing I love most about my salon is that I am a one-woman show. Since I am the singular stylist at my business, I create a one-on-one experience for my clients that they don't get at many other salons. They get a quiet, luxury experience, and that has been a huge player in building my business. While creating beautiful hair is my main focus, my second focus is creating a relationship with my clientele. You can visit my website to book an appointment or check availability anytime. I also have a Facebook page (facebook.com/styledbydaniellehalbert) dedicated to my business to connect more personally, with before-and-afters, tutorials, giveaways, and additional messaging options. My studio very much reflects my personality with its style. It's vintage, funky, and bold.

A few hours alone at Elephant Rocks is time well spent, and will most certianly change your attitude.

Why not try changing the way you look at things?

Valor Wellness & Longevity Clinic: Weight Loss | Muscle Sculpting | Pain Management | Core Strength | Mental Clarity — https://valorwellness.co/farmington

Elephant Rocks is one of the best-known tourist destinations in the area. The park actually gets its name from the gigantic boulders that stand end to end like circus elephants. The park is a geological reserve once used to mine Precambrian granite. Today, it is a recreation area and hiking trail that receives around 400,000 visitors a year. One of my first school trips was to Elephant Rocks when I was a little girl, and I usually make a trip there once a year. It really is a great way to spend a nice day.

Back in the late 1800's it was all the rage to carve your name in the never changing granite.

Are you looking for a way to record your exsistance that will never change? Even granite changes.

For more info on Elephant Rocks State Park, visit: https://mostateparks.com/park/elephant-rocks-state-park

City of Perryville, Missouri. The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. — https://visitperrycounty.com/

Get Out There! We command you to change something. Learn something new. Take a hike. Start a business. Do something. Do anything. What one person can do, another can do. That sunken sofa will be fine without you—that won't change.