do something amazing

People have been saying I am amazing for surviving the ravages of Lyme Diseases with my humor and good-nature intact.

I don’t know if it is amazing to survive something, though. You either live or die and whatever percent of that was my choice, surely if the Lyme had its way (as living matter itself) it would have chosen to be amazing and survive itself.

Doing something amazing would be to really bring awareness of the dangers of Lyme and give some good researchers and scientists and doctors the tools needed to accurately diagnose and treat Lyme so no one else will have to go through what millions of people go through. Most of them, not evening knowing they are infected and told they are “crazy”, given pain killers and anti-depresents and left to slowly die.

Ahh well. We try again. :)

The problem with this goal – also the opportunity of the goal – is to define what “amazing” is. The word seems to be a mixture of two words and a few meanings; one part hard work, one part confusion and one part crazy. When put together, it all leads to wonder.

Somehow, doesn’t make the goal much easier. . .

1. To affect with great wonder; astonish.
2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex.
To cause great wonder or astonishment: a sight that amazes.
Amazement; wonder.

The etymology:

In 1230, the word appeared in Middle English, “masen” or “amased” which meant “to bweilder” and “to confuse”. Another verson of it, “amazian” meant “to make crazy”. The word “amazing” appeared in 1592 meaning “overwhelm with wonder” and was recorded in 1704 in the modern sense as “To affect with great wonder; astonish” and the first meaning of it was abolished and forgotten entirely.

“Amazing” also seems to stem from a Norwegian dialect, the word “mas” which is were the word “maze” (as in a labyrinth) comes from. The word was compounded into “amasod” which means “exhausting labor”. This dates back to 1290-1300.

I’d image, the word began as two words, the Middle English and Norwegian, and became one over time. Probably in the 1600.