I’m not sure why, but that term–WYSIWYG–has stuck with me in that part of the brain that stores weird random facts. Maybe it’s because it was a revolutionary concept (for 1988), but I have a feeling it is more because it is a silly-sounding word.
What You See Is What You Get.
This concept has become the standard as applied to technology; it couldn’t be a simpler and easier statement to understand. You get what you see.
However, apply this term to people. You will get a sticky, grey-filled, facade of terror. More often than not, people are scared and nervous to show their true authentic self. There are expectations that we feel have to be met so we put on a pretense, a veneer that is used to make people see you in a different light. While there may be some truth contained on that front, it doesn’t embody the concept of WYSIWYG.
But not Amanda. She is the embodiment of WYSIWYG.
And I’ve got no illusions about you, guess what I never did
Ani DiFranco
When I say, “I’ll take it” I mean as is
She will tell you, straight up, who you see is who she truly is. She will often comment, jokingly with a tinge of sadness, that people don’t believe her–they just think it is something that everyone says–that facade. And time and time again, people are surprised when they find out that she is, in fact, being truthful.
Every word out of Amanda’s mouth, every decision she has ever made, every action she takes, every reaction she has ever had is her in her most pure and undiluted form. There is no pretense, there is no affectation, but only sincerity and honesty that I have never seen in any other person.
A while back, Amanda studied and learned about the Myers Briggs Temperament Sorter. It came as absolutely no shock when we read her results. Her personality type is one of the most rare personality types. Less than 1 percent of the population shares her personality type. And, of course, she is the brightest shining example of her type.
This is part of a description of her personality type:
People with this personality type tend to feel directionless or stuck until they connect with a sense of purpose for their lives. For many, this purpose has something to do with uplifting others and their ability to feel other people’s suffering as if it were their own. While they want to help everyone, they need to focus their energy and efforts – otherwise, they can end up exhausted…Although they know the world will never be perfect, they still care about making it better however they can. This quiet belief in doing the right thing may explain why these personalities so often inspire compassion, kindness, and beauty wherever they go.
Source available on request
This is exactly how Amanda operates. It is literally impossible for Amanda to separate her work from her principle–and I’m not being hyperbolic. Amanda will never find happiness in just any random job. The job must align with her value system but it must be something that helps others. When she is passionate about something, absolutely nothing will stop her.
The theologian Fredrick Buechner wrote, “Your vocation in life is where your greatest joy meets the world’s greatest need.” Amanda could never escape midwifery, it is almost as if it found her, enticed her and invited her in, and then never let her go. Amanda has said, on many occasions, that midwifery is something that has the power to change the world. It is empowering, humanizing, messy, spiritual, meaningful, and accepting. As a male observer of her profession, I have seen these ideals reflected in her life. Her personality type doesn’t allow her to view Midwifery just as another job. Amanda is midwifery and midwifery is Amanda–the two are intertwined.
When you take the person Amanda is, at her very core, there is no pretension. She is very simple yet very intricate. She is complicated yet straightforward. She is authentic, non-traditional, accepting, and unconditionally loving. There is never any judgment. However, don’t ever cross her, do not deceive her, do not hurt those she loves.
She never wants attention, fame, or affirmation. She is astute. She is sensitive. She is a solid foundation.
She is my solid foundation.
The truth and beauty that you see in Amanda is exactly the truth and beauty you receive.
Curtis Romey Wrting 