Panache is a good lad. He's considerate, well-spoken, enthusiastic, presumeably a pretty darned good Scottish Country Dancer, he has superlative taste in women, and he dresses well. Panache has the abillty to blow off a little steam when something bugs him, and then step back and see both sides to an issue. He has the ability to think things over, learn about them come to his own conclusions, but understand that others may not see things the same.

And Panache really likes dressing to the nines!

Now, Panache and I get along pretty darned well. He comes out and cheers for me when I throw large heavy objects. He'll stand next to me for a picture and not wince when I get sweat and pine tar tacky on his tweed jacket and my shirt is flopping out. He doesn't get annoyed when I hang on his wife. He doesn't whack me with his cromach when I physically pick up his daughter and swing her about.

You see, I tend to the scroungy look. I wear athletic socks when I throw, and I have a Gold Brothers kilt that gets worn to most of the Games because I throw at most of the Games and I don't care if I trash that kilt. I only get all dressed up for "special events" like Burns Night, at which I wear ecru socks. When I'm out hiking I wear t-shirts and beat up boots. At work, I have on black combat boots, but my socks tend to slip under the boots because they're old gray tube socks and they don't stay up. I'm just NOT "dapper" unless it's truly required.

I make kilts. Panache does not, he has the best looking kilt maker in town in his living room, he doesn't NEED to make kilts. However he makes sgian don'ts...of which I have two; gifts from my friend. I assemble large, heavy objects to throw from bulky pieces of metal and stone. Panche has dancing gillies. If Panache ever wanted a large, heavy metal object to throw, I'd be glad to help him out, though!

We look very different. We dress very differently. We have a very different approach to "kilts" in general. Our DIY kiltie projects are different.

However, we find a lot of common ground in the world of kilts and Scottish Culture, and "different is OK" between Dapper Panache and Scroungy Alan H. I take some pleasure in this fact. We don't have to all be the same, in order to be friends.

Thanks for listening.