Quote Originally Posted by Bing View Post
Are we secretly brothers-in-law, because if I didn't know better I would have to say that I'm married to your wife's sister!

She Who Must Be Obeyed is currently on double-secret probation with me, as she has forbidden me on more than one occasion recently from wearing my kilt out in public. She says that she doesn't want to bee seen with me causing a spectacle.

According to the schedule I am allowed to wear a kilt in the beer tent (only!) on Friday and Saturday nights at the Fergus Highland games, to a Burns Day party we attend and at our Scotchtoberfest party in early October and our Niel Gow Birthday Party in late March. Count that up folks, 5 times a year.

Christmas - FORBIDDEN!
Hogmanay - FORBIDDEN!
Down the pub - FORBIDDEN!
playing a gig with our Celtic music club - FORBIDDEN!
St. Andrew's day - FORBIDDEN!

The most recent incident was this past weekend when were meeting up with some friends for a céilidh with the Irish Folk Society. I was dressed and ready to go but was sent back upstairs to change like a miscreant schoolboy before our friends arrived.

And now to the double-secret probation part. If this happens ONE MORE TIME I will sell every bit and scrap of kilt related stuff that I have. Keep your eyes on the For Sale forum because we have 2 gigs coming up for St. Paddy's day and if it's jeans again then it all goes.

I'm 48 years old, gainfully employed in my own business and I shouldn't have to fight about what I'm going to wear. Life's too short to deal with this kind of nonsense about my hobby that she doesn't like.
Brother Bing

I feel your pain. My wife does have a sister, but believe me there is no way you would want to be married to her because my wife and I both have difficulty being in the same hemisphere with her.

Regarding your Double Secret Probation comment, as I read it I was not sure what the outcome was going to be, but I certainly did not expect YOU to feel a need to drop all your kilt kit into the sale bin because of another "violation". Personally, I choose my battles, which are threatening to be more and more frequent as my desires to go out kilted will be increasing with the winter waning. But I do choose them against her desires sometimes, and that will likely increase in frequency rather than diminish.

I have tried the "get her involved" in the kilting and celtic events stuff, even had a custom woven silk scarf made up in Dutch FRiendship Tartan colors (she is full blooded Dutch American), and offered to get a matching DFT kilt made so we could match when we went out to dressier events, and got the response of " oh you just want an excuse to get another kilt in DFT". Even bought an infant kilt for our son, which he wore numerous times when I was kilted for events, and when he outgrew that another child's kilt. I was kilted for work one day last week, and he wanted to wear his kilt (he is just two but very verbal), but she refused because I was leaving for work and she did not particularly want to see him in it. He loves being kilted with Daddy as you can see from the pictures in my albums.

No quick or easy answers, but don't give up the ship. Would you give up golfing, or fishing, or wearing boxer shorts instead of briefs, or shorts instead of long pants on a hot day, because your spouse insisted? There is only so far that a marrital relationship can or should go with regards to a person's individuality. But each relationship needs to find its own balance point. Good luck.

j