Disrespected in my own yard.

[Richrail]

So the story begins, I'm dressed for working in the yard on a cool Autumn morning. Today I decided to wear my Heritage of Ireland kilt, brown leather accessories and bison hose and brown 8 inch lace-up boots. My wife and I are outside, enjoying the beautiful weather. My wife is a distributor for a hydroponic garden product, one of her rep's called and said she would be bring a potential client over to take a look at our tower gardens. My wife's rep shows up with her potential client, they come into the backyard and introductions are made when she looks over at me and says "nice skirt". I say nothing, because it is really not worth my time, my wife pops in with that I'm celebrating my heritage and wear a kilt any time I'm not at work.

My wife goes about showing and talking about the product and just keeps getting a negative response. Why this person even wanted to look at are garden, then just keep being negative is beyond me. She is a Native American who the whole time was talking about mother earth and her "Heritage". She was just disagreeing with my wife and telling her she was wrong and that the plants need the soil. My wife is a internationally certified arborist and a horticultural consultant. She and her sister are horticultural consultants specializing in the diagnosis of plant diseases. My wife has a bachelors degree in biology and her sister has a masters degree in horticulture. Anyway with someone so in tune with their heritage I just don't understand being so rude about mine.

[bdkilted]

I've run into that before too. Some people are very ethnocentric. I you don't share their heritage, you are just a barbarian. It is just proof that the white man does not have a lock on being small minded, you will find that in every hue.

[cable scot]

I've run into that before too. Some people are very ethnocentric. I you don't share their heritage, you are just a barbarian. It is just proof that the white man does not have a lock on being small minded, you will find that in every hue.

I get that a lot here too. I have found if you are comfortable and sure of yourself it tends to get a reaction from people who are not.

[Father Bill]

You can legislate neither intelligence, understanding, nor decency. That's why we come together here in a world where we can give one-another virtual support.

Hang tough & kilt on!

[kiltedrennie]

Sounds like an awesome outfit to me!

[Riverkilt]

Clint Eastwood said it best in Gran Torino, "Get off my lawn!"

[Stan]

Bravo, and well said.......I live in Oklahoma and when asked about any kilting that I may be doing, my normal response is "I'm of Scottish decent, and I like wearing a kilt because it's a tribal"...Every one (here) understands, and simple smiles, and nods in consent, and understanding.

[James Hood]

In this opinion, "naturally angry" people find "creative ways" to become hair-trigger angry about even obtuse things, let alone those currently relevant.

Furthermore, the more angry the person, the more likely they are to act / strike out at others because they choose not to contain their anger, but rather make goofs of themselves, expressing their life-discontent by targeting the context of the current situation.

Her coming to your home and then demeaning things as divergent as the owner's garment and horticulture...

...reminds this writer of an auld colloquialism; "This woman really had a case of the a**."

Be glad her grafitti and vandalism on your property was verbal rather than visual.

[aonghas]

Any comment on my part would be pale by what Hawk said. I can/would not apologize for this woman said as it is on her.
Our peoples at one time long ago were very well receiving of others eg. spruce/cedar teas to help the French with scurvy or with sharing food as in Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims as a few example.
It does not excuse disrespectful behavior ever. I am sure that she is very angry/resentful/jealous and in her own spirit in a much worse place than Richrail feels being disrespected in his abode.
As far as our self identity as the People it is common enough for all of us It is (spelling will vary) ongweongwe (the people),
hodeneshone (people of the long house), kahienkehaga (peolpe of the flint).
Again I, we commiserate with Richrail, and offer when we next meet a sup of liquid sunshine.

[tripleblessed]

I can/would not apologize for this woman said as it is on her.

Very much to the point. We all are/were indigenous somewhere. As we move further from tribal groupings
and commingle, lines get blurred, creating a "dominant culture". To one attempting to maintain oneness with
roots, and residing in/among a "dominant culture", it may be difficult to see other ways as acceptable. As to
our education, it is incumbent on each of us to learn to hold to what we choose while allowing others the dignity
of making their own, possibly different choices. A good thing to learn is that judging others against our own
choices is fruitless; harsh judging engenders anger toward others. Our anger may be difficult for those who
encounter it, but it is immensely more damaging to us, in the negative effects on our health. Sometimes when
hit with these blasts I remember my youth and respond in kind. Mostly (I hope), I attempt better. I might ask
if they are all right; it might be they are just having a bad day and need to vent somewhere. In those cases,
it becomes easy to say would you feel better talking about it? Does this somehow connect with a time or event
where they felt slighted/hurt? Or would more information be helpful? Sometimes it is actually as simple as someone
being habituated to anger _ their own choice. Blessings on us all, most of us have been there sometime.