Argyll outfit 'infamous'?

[Kid Cossack]

snip
That does not make them scottish, they are not scots their ancestors were

snip

You are american, scottishness is not who you are.

snip

You come fromnorth america, you dont come from scotland

Alumini:

Nothing like jumping in with both feet, amigo! And for a first post, at that. During my (unkilted) wanderings in the former Soviet Union, I had to wrap myself around new concepts, like the formal distinction between nationality and citizenship. My wife, for instance, her passport showed nationality as Russian, and her citizenship as Kazakhstani. (We've fixed that last part!)

Who was she?

In the multiple Venn diagrams that define us, which circle is most important? If you're a left-handed Catholic from Muskogee, Oklahoma, born in 1962, of Polish extraction, who served in the US Navy . . . what defines you?

Or as the rapper once said, "It's not where you're from, it's where you're at."

I am not a Scot. I am of Scots extraction.
I am not Irish. But I do have Irish blood. (Some.)
I am not English. But I do have English blood. (Some.)
I am not a lot of things . . . but I have blood from many countries.

How diluted does one's blood have to be before one is cut off from the cultural affinities one feels for one's ancestors?

Is there a point where my English blood is so dilute that I cannot thrill to Shakespeare? For who would such fardels bear . . . .

And, to be more relevant to the original poster's original post, is there not a point at which cultural affinities are sufficient, in and of themselves, to allow adoption of certain cultural artifacts?

I am not a Scot, and I am not Scottish. I am an American, from America, descended from (among others) Scotsmen, and Scotswomen. I wear a kilt, and frequently. I know, and understand, that there are Scots who think that by so doing I am transgressing on "their turf." I know, also, that there have been Scots who have been tickled pink to see me in my kilt, with whom I have engaged in discussions of the kilt and its history.

I hope this does not seem combative; I am attempting to engage you regarding your post . . . and also let me say, welcome aboard, and I hope you find our little website to be interesting and entertaining.

[Mac Ghille Sheathanaich]

Well put Kid Cossack!

It's in our DNA. Where ever in the world we live, were born and raised, that which is in our ancestry stays through the generations.

Our new member obviously didn't understand the point I was trying to make.

Yes, I am American and proud of it, but I am descended from a long line of Scottish, Irish and German ancestors who were proud strong people.

If we can't have some pride of who we are, in the entirety of it, there is no purpose for any of us being in here.

We will just whimper back into the state of becoming an increasingly unpopular ethnic group, forced by society into a state of shame.

Shame for certain things our American ancestors did, while at the same time footing the bill for the societal problems brought about by those who are very quickly becoming the majority groups.

Again, I need to quit this line of thinking, for it isn't appropriate here. You all should be able to get my point, whether you like it or not. Things are what they are.

Fide et Fortitudine, aye!

T.

[Nervous Jock]

Its not your ancestors who make you who you are

Bobbins

[Mac Ghille Sheathanaich]

Alumini, you aren't comprehending my point, and you have tripped yourself in your own post.

Your ancestors created, shaped, designed and built the culture and society you grew up in.

It is ignorance of history, that ancestry has nothing to do with who you are or what makes any of the rest of us what we are.

[McMurdo]

Gentlemen
We recently went down this road, as I recall the thread had to be pulled, lets take this one back on topic, or it too shall be closed, you've been warned.

[Kid Cossack]

Kilted Craanen:

I fear we have wrenched this thread somewhat off topic, and I apologize for my part in that.

The issue of acceptance of the kilt (and thus the argyll) by family and friends is certainly not one unique to you. I know that there are two strong camps here at X-marks, one camp saying, "If they love you, they'll put up with it" and the other, "If you love them, consider their feelings." Into which camp one moves is a choice each must make. I frequently attempt to occupy the middle ground, with the dead raccoons. (As the old saying goes, the only thing in the middle of the road is a dead raccoon.)

My general approach is to be water on stone, slowly and gradually wearing away at those who think I'm being silly for wearing a kilt.

Frequently I will appeal to reason, and ask just what it is that they find silly. Is it something particular about the kilt (or the argyll)? Or is it just that I present myself as different?

At times I have said, "Wearing the kilt is a way to set myself apart from most people, like earrings and tattoos . . . except that I can always put pants on, if need be. Easier to take the kilt off than a tattoo."

(No offense, of course, to those with piercings and/or tattoos, it's simply that I don't have any.)

Sometimes I will allude to the comfort of wearing a kilt.

Sometimes I will allude to the fact that ladies seem to like men in kilts.

Sometimes I will simply mention that I tend to have a lot more conversations, almost all of them good, when I am kilted than when (shudder, shudder) I am betrousered.

Sometimes these appeals to reason work, sometimes they don't. When they don't work, one is forced to decide on where to draw the line. That is an individual decision, and a difficult one.

I wish you all the best, and my hope for you is that you may find a way to be kilted while maintaining a good relationship with your father.

Best,

KC

[Mac Ghille Sheathanaich]

Kudos McMurdo, and thank you. I was getting a wee bit out of control.

Blessins on yer heid!


Fide et Fortitudine, aye

T.

[frits vanhulle]

IK ben aangenaam verrast door de WIJZE opmerkingen die ik hier las...
Geef je vader wat tijd ... en hoe fraai je je ook uitdost, er zullen natuurlijk altijd enggeestige mensen zijn die jongeman in een ROK belachelijk vinden ...
Maak het goed Frits

[PneumoniaHawk]

IK ben aangenaam verrast door de WIJZE opmerkingen die ik hier las...
Geef je vader wat tijd ... en hoe fraai je je ook uitdost, er zullen natuurlijk altijd enggeestige mensen zijn die jongeman in een ROK belachelijk vinden ...
Maak het goed Frits

Hahaha sweet, I'm quite intrigued about the translation of this post

[Frank McGrath]

I just wish my father was still around to make a comment. Whatever the comment.