Conversations with Strangers

[Mr. MacDougall]

Something I've noticed... being odd seems to be license for people to talk to you. A number of years ago, for instance, I dyed my hair blue. Suddenly, the number of people who talked to me out of nowhere expanded dramatically -- even my friends noticed it. One of them theorized that it was because I looked like a muppet.

I mention this because today, while I was sitting at the local Wendy's, eating a hamburger and reading a manga, a lady came up to me and asked me what tartan my kilt was. She confided that she was from Nova Scotia, and missed seeing men in kilts. Nor is this an isolated experience. People are always asking me questions (including The Question), and while I don't mind, I do think it's interesting that strangers seem much more interested in talking to me when I'm out-of-the-ordinary.

[adam]

Hmmm, sociology project anyone? I also wonder how people react to "normal" and "odd" people differently.

[Big Homestead]

Something I've noticed... being odd seems to be license for people to talk to you. A number of years ago, for instance, I dyed my hair blue. Suddenly, the number of people who talked to me out of nowhere expanded dramatically -- even my friends noticed it. One of them theorized that it was because I looked like a muppet.

I mention this because today, while I was sitting at the local Wendy's, eating a hamburger and reading a manga, a lady came up to me and asked me what tartan my kilt was. She confided that she was from Nova Scotia, and missed seeing men in kilts. Nor is this an isolated experience. People are always asking me questions (including The Question), and while I don't mind, I do think it's interesting that strangers seem much more interested in talking to me when I'm out-of-the-ordinary.

You got that right. It has a great deal to do with the fact that we want to investigate that which is not "normal" or identify with it. The other side of that coin though is people can judge you and hate you without knowing you because you are different.

You hit it on the button though, I have found the same to be true. On both sides of the coin.

Cheers

[GMan]

I chalk it up to being an individual, and people just want to hang out with you to appear cool themselves.

[Lorc]

Great observations! I have often wondered why people feel comfortable enough with a stranger, to just walk up and start a rather personal sort of conversation. I'm a news photagrapher at a local tv station and forever have folks asking me questions. Many times they are related to my job. but often enough, I get off the wall stuff. I dont mind, actually it usually is great comedy relief in a job that unfortunately is rather a downer,(accidents, crime,ect.,) BTW i'm a big, bearded, hairy, kinda scarey sort(it helps at the 3 am murder scenes) and my goodest fun is when the lil' ol' ladies come to visit me. Seems like a good research topic, but I think I'll just have a toddy and dropkick murphy the urge away. Lorc.

[Dirk Skene]

To wear a kilt, I think one must be a bit of an extrovert. Without being consuious of this I think others pick up on that fact & just want to have a little conversation with what must be a friendly fellow.

[Riverkilt]

For sure up the road from you at Lake Powell.

Its weird, since we're a tourist area I expect the tourists to be more open and initiate kilt converstations...like maybe we're fellow tourists...

But the other thing I notice is our normally taciturn locals will think I'm a tourist and ask me where I'm from etc. Something they'd never do if I were bifurcated.

Ron

[Makeitstop]

You got that right.

I wear shorts, a t-shirt and sandals all winter, even when it's sub-zero (Fahrenheit) and at least twice a day I get a comment or (rhetorical) question about how cold I must be or what man and/or freak I am.

It's just natural for people to comment on things which deviate from their expectations, and to be curious about things they don't understand.

I'm already planning to exploit this trend for an organization I belong to by getting as many members as I can to show up to classes on the same day wearing something weird or outrageous (exactly what I'm not sure yet) and then telling people about our group when they start asking about all us freaks.

[Robert Lamb]

I thinK (once in awhile) that people in the hearts want to me Irish or Scottish. So when they see a man in a kilt it is there chance to be a little Scottish for a while, like St patty's day they can be Irish.
Robert "the kilted" Lamb

[Thebes]

Around town far more people come up and talk to me when I am kilted. I haven't yet heard "the question" from a stranger, but several times a day people talk to me, comment on my kilt, flirt, etc. One older lady even grabbed my utilikilt at the hem, I swear I thought she was going to lift it right in front of my wife, but she just wanted to see what the fabric was like.

Almost everyone commenting on it are women. Its to the point I would definately suggest single men wear kilts to meet women.

I am not sure it is just the novelty of it though. The town where I shop, Taos, is a pretty strange and extroverted spot. I haven't seen the same sort of reaction to people with purple hair, facial tattoos, or hand-made buckskin hippie clothes.