Kilt night in Greenville South Carolina

**Dreadbelly** · 7th January 07, 10:50 AM

Ooooh, wait.

Who's bringing a camera? I know I will.

**katmills2005** · 7th January 07, 06:09 PM

Will bring my camera as well. Would be awesome, if the weather permits, to maybe walk down to Falls Park and get a kilted pic on the bridge. They light the falls at night and it would make an awesome background.

**Dreadbelly** · 7th January 07, 06:16 PM

Oh HECK YEAH! Even if everybody doesn't want to do that, I'd still be all over it if just a few people want to go off on a walkabout.

My camera takes terrible night shots though. Boo hiss.

**MacWage** · 7th January 07, 06:38 PM

I'm scheduled to close that night (it is the last chance to clean up before inventory the next day). It depends on what time he (my boss) lets us go as to whether I'll be able to show up or not.

How late do ya'll plan to stay?
(Don't have to answer yet)

**katmills2005** · 7th January 07, 06:50 PM

My camera is pretty good even at night so long as there is no fog.

MacWage, if you get out late just give one of us a call. I tend to hang out downtown for a while, usually at Coffee Underground. My cell is 483-0264.

Counting down by days now and getting excited about meeting ya'll.

**Dreadbelly** · 7th January 07, 07:07 PM

Hey, I am totally up for some coffee... An after get together get together at the Coffee Underground is totally kewl with me.

**cessna152towser** · 10th January 07, 06:04 AM

From reading some of Dreadbelly's other posts, Greenville doesn't sound a very kilt friendly place. Maybe if a rabble of you go walkabout this will show the rednecks there's nothing freakish about kilts and Dreadbelly will get less hassle in future.

**nixphotography** · 10th January 07, 06:30 AM

Cessna, all in all its not a real bad town to be kilted in although I also have reiceved a few not so nice comments. I don't believe there were to many bad remarks last year when the highland games were in greenville. Strength in numbers as they say. So as you said maybe we can change a few minds this friday.

Brett

**Dreadbelly** · 10th January 07, 07:28 AM

Being kilted here is a mixed bag, as I am sure that it is anywhere you go.

I've been put in the emergency room and have lost a tooth due to a large number of cretins wishing to teach me a lesson for wearing a skirt. It was not a fair fight at all, and I have no desire to go in to details here.

But I have also had some of the most amazing human interactions because of wearing it. Tourists from Scotland, including one old woman who actually wept because one of her American cousins had the fortitude to wear the kilt as daily dress. I have been swarmed by Japanese tourists armed with buzzing clicking cameras, and while I have no clue to what they were saying in Japanese, there couldn't be anything bad going on. One older gentleman from Scotland asked me one time in what I thought was going to be a spot of trouble "What gives you the right to wear that tartan?" Feeling somewhat irritated that day because of an earlier incident, I told him "Right of might as a Douglas." He started laughing and said good answer, and we ended up talking for about four hours in the plaza at a little table. Holding a door open for a women at the bank, I heard her say with an extreme British accent "Nice to know God still makes real men." Giving a crash course at the library to a bunch of school kids what a kilt was, explaining to them about pleats, and aprons, the straps and buckles, what tartans were, and even showing them in a book different tartans. Hearing one kid say tartans were like history books for people that can't read made my week. Being a regular fixture downtown and finally gaining acceptance from the various shopkeeps and businesses, earning their respect and trust. In the beginning, there was some rough moments, but now, I am welcome most everywhere.

I've worked very hard to get what I have now. I love where I live. This is my home, downtown Main Street is my front yard. I get discounts from some of the local shops because I've brought them business and having me around has added a touch of class or the exotic to their establishments.

The good far outweighs the bad.

**katmills2005** · 10th January 07, 08:35 AM

The Greenville Highland Games have helped to educate some of those who simply don't have the understanding or education or choose to savor ignorance. It opened a lot of peoples eyes to the Scottish heritage.

I'm going to be helping with the games this year and am really looking forward to them.

Greenville, like anywhere else has its good points and bad. I try not to fuss or worry over the bad but instead nurture the good and hope it wins out in the end. Downtown is one of my favorite places to go with my friends. I have seen an older gentleman playing bag pipes down there several times. Guys in kilts will not be the most unusual site on a Friday evening.