Swiss Miss

    In Amanda Thompson's personal essay "Swiss Miss" (2015), claims that the reason she acts the way she does is because it's easier for her to think more clear especially since her feelings aren't involved. She tells us how she was forced to go to her grandparents camp at their church and how she had to go on a trip with other kids around her age so she could become more social. The purpose of this personal essay was to inform us and let us know that it's okay to be different and be alone but in order to become more social you have to be able to understand others.The intended audience are students and those who have similar situations.

     After reading the personal essay we felt a sort of pride for Amanda for making friends she had once detested. Her change in attitude toward the girls was surprising to us and even countered what we originally thought of her. This led us to believe that Amanda is actually a pretty friendly person despite of all her actions in the past. She came out of her comfort zone and discovered a side of her she had never seen before.   

        Amanda Thomson explains her personality of being alone by using a story of her summer experience with her church’s youth group. She believes that there is nothing wrong with being alone. Her actions made audience feel a little bit surprised. She tries to explain how her grandparents forced her to go to summer church for youths so she can have social relations with others. The way she wanted to stay alone, other kids were thinking that she may have problems as one of them kept questioning her: “Why are you always thinking” (136)? “You know, I haven’t seen you smile since I’ve met you. Are you sad”(136)? With all those questions she tries to explain how she feels that she was not sad or angry where another one asked her again:” Do you ever feel happy, then (137)? By avoiding others, she answered that she can think more clear without them. After all, they understood that she didn’t want to be a burden where they named her after Switzerland by comparing her with it and explained how Switzerland avoided all things having to do with war and they let her know she was doing the same. Amanda was happy to know that someone understood her actions by naming her “Swiss”.