Do you ever just NOT want the attention?

[Frank McGrath]

As I have posted before, I live in a very conservative farming community. I believe that inbreeding runs rampant in my county, There are those who have never seen a man in a kilt. My wife and I have a new favorite restaurant in the nest town. I have worn the kilt there several times. The newest waitress, a young lass, stopped in mid sentence when she saw the kilt and yelled, "That is awesome". Several times. I thanked her. Nest thing I know, this big lug from the bar comes over and starts trash talking. Mid 20's. I aksed him if he had ever gotten his butt beat by an old man in a skirt. He then backed down. Then he had to challenge my manhood in a drinking contest. I ordered a beer on his tab, and drank it. I then told him he won. He returned to the bar . telling all his friends about his experience. I had a nice dinner with my wife and our friends. They all thought I was the better man for the way I handled Dumbo the Redneck. The manager then came over and congratulated me. With a dunb look on my face, he told me I was the first guy that went toe to toe with Dumbo and won.( or at least wasn't removed by ambulance. He bought a round for the table. Ahhhhh, the power of the kilt.

I wear the kilt for me. Yes, I like the attention, to a point. It's when the morons awake that I wish I was somewhere else.

[Cynthia]

Some people here are really misinterpreting these thoughts! I'm not the least bit thinned skinned regarding "kilt komments." I couldn't care less what people think - just ask my wife! My point is, as Jay correctly noted, that sometimes the attention, positive or negative, is just too damned much work to deal with... and I'd rather not.

I gather that some here wear the kilt for the attention it generates. I don't! I just like wearing 'em....

I totally "got" what Woodsheal was talking about. I PM'd him something similar, but not kilt related because I could totally understand what he's talking about and wanted to share my experiences without going off topic.

I realize you have to put up with comments of all sorts when you stand out and are different: slowing you down from schedule, interrupting a lovely evening out with your loved one/s... but there ARE times you wish you could have both the enjoyment of what it is that makes you different, AND have a little peace and quiet.

Yes, it's highly enjoyable to have the compliments (which outnumber the bad comments)... and it's fairly easy to brush off bad comments, but sometimes you realize that you don't really have the time for it or it's not really the occasion for it and it's taking away from the atmosphere a bit for that particular date/event.

There is nothing about being thin skinned. It's just a matter of "cripes already, not today."

[Leprechaun 91]

I get tired of having to come up with snappy comebacks!

I know it's a fantasy, but I long for a day when kilts are common enough that all the turned heads, gaping mouths, pointed fingers, and doltish comments are a thing of the past.

Hmm. Then I would have to start wearing pants. Just to be different.

[pastorsteve]

This is an interesting post. When I wear a kilt nothing changes. I don't walk differently, talk differently, relate to anyone differently. Therefore I don't get any different comments from anyone. Maybe it's because I'm a pastor and married for 20 years but I don't look for, expect, anticipate or encourage any other ladies (or guys for that matter) to make any advancements or comments to me than they otherwise would.

My first thought is that if you're (global you) getting a lot more attention than you normally do, you're putting something out there - it's not the kilt.

[orangehaggis]

I read this post with great interest. I too am an introvert with mildly antisocial tendencies - it's just my nature. Sometimes it conflicts with the desire top wear the kilt, which comes from the love of my heritage and my enjoyment of the comfort that the kilt affords rather than a desire to stand out and seek attention. I too feel much better when I'm out with a few mates that wear the kilt.

As for being asked where my pipes are, I'm a piper, so I can truthfully tell them the location of my pipes. I 'm not terribly witty, so it's best to answer the question honestly if somewhat mundanely.

I have been known about town for wearing the kilt in my leisure hours. Sadly, I have been unable to do this since April of last year when a longterm relationship abruptly came to a halt. I just haven't had the confidence to don the kilt casually. I still wear it to church, which is fine as the congregation is entirely Anglophilic and I am not the only kilted parishioner. I don't even like wearing the kilt for piping jobs anymore.

Mark O - Ohio

[castledangerous]

I think that would be more Britophilic (or Scotlandophilic) than Anglophilic

[Makeitstop]

I used to have a lot of trouble being social, and wearing a kilt has helped with that because I have to be ready to deal with random strangers asking questions and trying to start conversations. So while I would usually prefer to be invisible, I have grown a bit because of the unwanted attention.

Unfortunately, I am now so known for the kilt that when I have to wear something else I get even more attention due to its absence.

One of these days I might just get a shirt made that says "For the love of God people, just leave me alone!" on both sides, just to see if it works.

[orangehaggis]

I think that would be more Britophilic (or Scotlandophilic) than Anglophilic

I thought about that as I typed the message, but chose to stick with "Anglophilic" for three reasons: 1) It's an Anglican church, 2) Scottish fashions and 'Scottishness' in general were extremely popular Victorian England 3) I never heard the term Scotlandophilic and even considered using Caledoniophilic ... but again, I'd never heard that term used.

Mark O - Ohio

[Bob C]

I had a similar experience about a year ago. I was dressed for a formal banquet, in my kilt and PC, complete with fly plaid. There was a wedding in another banquet room at the hotel and the two groups were co-mingled (with other hotel guests) at a manager's reception in the lobby. A lady stopped me and said, "Oh, you must be the piper for the wedding!" I told her that I was not with the wedding, but there for a banquet. "Oh, you're playing at the banquet, then!" I told her I was not a piper, but merely attending a banquet. I'm not sure she believed me.

Back to Woodsheal's original point, however, I have not been to the Bingo parade in years. I probably would not go kilted, though, because it's usually too damned cold.

[gilmore]

I always tell nosey strangers that I am a transvestite. It helps in clearing out seating around me.

However, last time I used this was when Turpin, Ben and I were at a bar. A woman asked if we were Scots.

Me: "No, we are transvestites."

Her: "No, you're not. I'm from San Francisco. I know better."

Me: "We're Scottish transvestites."