I'm wearing pants today: semi rant

[Alan H]

Yup. I have on a pair of black "jeans" today. See, I rode my bike to work today. It's good to ride my bike to work for the fitness aspect and also so as to pump just a little bit less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This is todays tiny little blow against global warming. I'll probably do it tomorrow, too.

Some days I wear pants because I feel like it. Some days I wear kilts because I feel like it. Yes, I'm a little bit more aware of my appearance when I wear a kilt than when I wear pants because I know that I stand out a bit more. However, fundamentally I'm the same person no matter what I strap around my rumpside. I knew that on the first day I wore a kilt in public and I still know that. I still believe that what COUNTS is the person, not the color or stitching pattern of the piece of cloth that they use to hide their privates from general display.

If we insist that people treat "kilties" decently and with respect, then it behooves us to treat people who do NOT wear a kilt with the same respect. People are people, judge the PERSON, not the piece of cloth they have on. Is it right to judge someone on whether they wear a kilt or not?....as in "all kilties are independent minded men with a sense of honor"..oh, we LIKE that one, do we? Ok, then how about this: any guy who wears a kilt is a crossdressing pervert... we don't like that do we? But what's the difference, both of those comments are still judging a person on the basis of nothing but what they're wearing. Too often the corollary to the first statement I put up there in italics is this: kilts are great so therefore all men in trousers must be "sheep-minded drones who only follow what the herd says must be done."

The attitude that kilts are BETTER in every way, and that people who wear kilts are BETTER than their non-kilt wearing brothers and sisters annoys the dickens out of me.

Wear a kilt if you want to. Wear pants if you want to. You don't like it when someone has a chip on their shoulder about kilts? Well then we all need to lose the chip on our OWN shoulder about how much better we are than guys who wear pants.

End Rant.

[davedove]

I might not have said it in the same way, Alan, but I agree with you. True freedom of dress lies not in what article of clothing you wear, but in the fact that you made the choice to wear it.

If a person wears pants because he's afraid of what people will say otherwise, he hasn't achieved that freedom. If however, he chooses to wear pants INSTEAD OF A KILT because he feels like it, then he has.

[Clockwork John]

I agree whole heartedly. Well said!

[The Supreme Canuck]

Alan: That's right, exactly. Don't judge, and don't be arrogant. It all boils down to the one rule we should all adhere to - don't be a jerk.

Though I don't really see the attitude that you describe very often, especially not on X Marks.

[macwilkin]

Hear, Hear, Alan!

Well said. There are a number of us who are not full-time kilt-wearers for various reasons. I think you summed it up quite nicely.

Cheers,

Todd

[TheKiltedWonder]

You bring up a fair point, but I doubt that too many people take our exaltations of kilt-wearers and wearin too seriously. Everyone on this forum has worn a kilt and we have all done so for different reasons, but it is the comonality on this forum. Ergo it makes sense that we speak of kilt-wearers in glowing terms. If I meet up with some friends and we all speak Swedish, we may make some jokes about how superior Swedish speakers are to English speakers (or, GASP Norwegian speakers ). But that doesn't mean we seriously believe that. We're just being light-hearted about our common thread. And that's how I feel most of the posts I've seen here have been. Some people wear pants, some no longer do, but I don't think anyone believes themselves to be morally superior to pant-wearers. At least not based on garment-choice alone.
That's just my thought on this. If people actually do believe themselves to be better than pant-wearers based solely on that garment-choice, thten I must agree with you.

[CactusJack]

Well said sir I don't think I could have said it any better myself.

[pipesndrumsnun]

"Be Nice" is always good advice!

[Daaaaang]

I don't think I will ever stop wearing pants. I have too many suit jackets and socks to stop wearing pants altogether.

However, since kilts cost me several hundred dollars, and a pair of pants costs me about $3, I feel I ought to wear kilts more often.

Well said Alan.

[TheKiltedWonder]

However, since kilts cost me several hundred dollars, and a pair of pants costs me about $3, I feel I ought to wear kilts more often.

Exactly how I feel!