[Long Post] Tracking Comments Last Week

[Riverkilt]

Just back from a week at a business conference in Tucson. Kept track of what folks remarked about my kilts. Kinda interesting. Thought it might help those "worrying or wondering" about being kilted in a business situation.

Location was the Loew's Ventana Canyon Resort (a business conference venue). People there were 700 counselors, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrist, alcohol and drug counselors, and the program presenters. A mature group. Most educated to at least a master's level.

Since I was gonna be sitting all day wore my UKs.

Sunday, arrived wearing my camo original. At check in a lady came up to me and said, "I've never seen a kilt like that and I'm Scottish and have seen a lot of kilts."

Another lady came up and asked, "Is that a kilt? Do you play the bagpipes." (we struck up a conversation and socialized the rest of the week).

Then a lady approached and said, "Why do you wear comoflauge - aren't kilts tartans?....do women wear them?...where can I get one?"


Monday the conference began. Wore my basil survival.

A stunning blonde lady said, "I love your skirt!"

Another lady said, "I like the cargo pockets."

A lady asked, "Are those pants some kind of kilt?"

An elderly lady smiled impishly and asked, "Has anyone asked you 'that' question yet?"

A 67 year old retired social worker asked, "So, what's under your kilt?" as she started to lift the hem....yes, I stopped her and explained the rules...she declined.

Tuesday I wore my tan survival

A lady looked me up and down then said, "Keep your legs together."

Was in the men's room and a guy said, "I gotta say, I love your kilt."

A guy, with serious intent, asked, "Is that a statement of some kind?...then after a conversation about kilts said, "It takes balls to wear a kilt." Gave him a card.

A guy from the state prison system asked me, "How many colors of kilts do you have?"

Wednesday wore my caramel workman's. Only comment all day was from the lady there to tape record the sessions...she's very elderly...she looked at me and said, "You're confusing me with your skirt."

Thursday Wore my black workman's with a Wicked Tinkers bagpipe shirt.

A Black lady stopped me, "I like your kilt, do you play the bagpipes?"

Two seperate ladies asked, "Do you play the bagpipes?" Guessing the shirt had something to do with the questions.

Another lady said, "Ahhh, a man of kilts. I love men in kilts!"

Then another lady stopped me, "I just have to ask, do you have your skirts made?" As I was explaining another lady with her said, "In Scotland." Told them no, in Seattle....

After the conference I was in Park Mall in Tucson and a lady smiled and said, "That looks mighty comfortable." A guy in a store asked, "Are you Scottish or Irish?"

Friday Drove home in my blue denim UK. Shopped in Phoenix and Flagstaff on the way with nary a comment. Only comment was back in Page, AZ at the Safeway when a guy asked, "Are you Scottish fella?"

So hey...if you've been wondering about what happens when you go kilted in public I think the above questions are pretty standard. Guessing most others will agree. Most never said a word.

Hope that helps someone...

Ron

[chasem]

not much mention of your responses...


Also, to add to that. I wore my SWK heavy black watch to classes today. The guy two seats behind me complimented it, then asked where I got my interest in kilts/Scotland. After talking for a while, he offered to bring information to me on some relatively local Burns night dinners, and St. Andrews Society. (I was not aware that either existed close to my home).

Just another "good response" for people.

[Riverkilt]

Tried to stay polite and educational....to never seen a camo kilt, "You can't say that anymore..."

To the bagpipes questions sometimes just look puzzled and say, "Why would you ask that?" but this trip just said no, I'd tried, and had not been successful at it.

Compliments were met with a "Thank you."

Things like "I like the cargo pockets" brought my response of , "Me too."

To the skirt questions, "It is a type of skirt, its called a kilt." The word kilt gets them adjusted immediately.

Told the prison cop who asked how many colors of kilt that I had that I had 24 kilts with two on the way...very matter of fact.

The venue was one of intelligent peers sharing important information. Treated all the questions asked as if they were intelligent. No point in being defensive or aggressive in a hall full of 700 therapists, all of whom are well trained and used to dealing with defensive and aggressive clients.

And, by being respectful and polite I got a chance to spend some quality time with a new female friend.

Ron

[Andrew Breecher]

Tried to stay polite and educational....to never seen a camo kilt, "You can't say that anymore..."

You should have said, "Then they're working."

Or, "I'm just trying to blend in."

Andrew.

[Freelander Sporrano]

Ron Sounds like a great trip.

One thing that struck me was ...If you where together with 700 therapist's you've not doubt given them enough material to work on until next year ....

you must have had some fun

[Riverkilt]

Ya know David, that is one thing that dissappointed me a little. The theme of the conference was culture and cultural diversity. Being in Tucson, AZ most of the "diversity" was about Hispanics and Native Americans.

One presenter did urge the therapists to not let their "Anglo" clients get away with saying they had no culture...find out their cultural heritage and use it to heal...in addictions that means pre-booze cultural history...good luck with the Scots and the Irish.....

Anyhow, not once did any speaker remark that there was a man of obvious Celtic heritage wandering about the conference kilted, honoring his heritage.

As much as I was all around maybe it was just plain obvious. Therapists are trained to be accepting. Noticed I got more of "The Look" from hotel staff and when out shopping than when around my peers at the conference.

Anyway...I'm still a tad pissy that I was living my culture, heritage, and being diverse and no one mentioned that it fit the theme of the conference.

Ron

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I had to appear in traffic court yesterday morning to take care of some insurance business (I rear ended a town vehicle a month ago, and just needed to supply proof that my insurance company was paying to fix the dented bumper). Anyhoo... I came kilted. I was going in to work right after court, so I just dressed like I normally do for work.

4-yard box pleated kilt, Mull tartan. Black, short sleeved buttoned shirt. Brown leather belt and sporran. Lovat blue hose and light green flashes (the Mull tartan is green, blue, and black, BTW -- same tartan as I have running on the top of my home page www.albanach.org). And sgian dubh.

I forgot I even had the sgian dubh on me. As I walked into the court house past a sign that said anybody was subject to search, I thought "this ought to be fun." I guess traffic court is pretty low security, because no one ever searched anybody, and I walked right through the metal detector (sgian dubh and all) with no problem.

I waited in line about 20 minutes with fellow violators of speed limits and road safety. No one said anything to me, and no one even gave odd glances that I could see. The man in front of me was very nice and we chatted a bit. The topic of the kilt never came up. The fellow behind me was a real peice of work. He had been caught going 82 in a 55 zone, and was bad mouthing our town for making him come back up from SC to pay his fine. In addition to bad mouthing the town itself, he had several unpleasant comments to make about the hispanics and Asians in line with us. Like I said, a real peice of work. I was just waiting for some ignorant comment about the kilt, but it never came. After about 15 minutes in line behind me, he seemed to notice the kilt for the first time and asked if I played the bagpipes. I told him no I didn't, and he just commented that they sounded nice if played well, but he couldn't stand listening to them played badly.

And that was pretty much it. When it came my turn to go up to speak with the DA, neither he nor the bailiff said anything about my kilt (or sgian dubh, which I was actually worried about). After my business was taken care of, on the elevator ride down, a woman asked me if there was a festival or something special going on today. I told her no, and said that I was headed to work at the Scottish museum down the street.

Maybe the courthouse being in the same town as the Scottish Tartans Museum is why no one raised an eyebrow. But I got the feeling that a good number of people in line were from out of town. I was actually really surprised at how few comments I recieved.

M

[Archangel]

Ya know David, that is one thing that dissappointed me a little. The theme of the conference was culture and cultural diversity. Being in Tucson, AZ most of the "diversity" was about Hispanics and Native Americans.

One presenter did urge the therapists to not let their "Anglo" clients get away with saying they had no culture...find out their cultural heritage and use it to heal...in addictions that means pre-booze cultural history...good luck with the Scots and the Irish.....

Anyhow, not once did any speaker remark that there was a man of obvious Celtic heritage wandering about the conference kilted, honoring his heritage.

As much as I was all around maybe it was just plain obvious. Therapists are trained to be accepting. Noticed I got more of "The Look" from hotel staff and when out shopping than when around my peers at the conference.

Anyway...I'm still a tad pissy that I was living my culture, heritage, and being diverse and no one mentioned that it fit the theme of the conference.

Ron

was at an event last year where someone did single someone out that way, wasn't too offensive but it didn't sound right. Several people did speak to the directors and there was an apology. It involved my friend and I, mostly him. He wasn't really offended, just surprised. It was clumsy.
Point is that it is better to ask first, and safer.
Another thing is that if you know the speaker, you could suggest that connection. I've done that with another friend who says, "what a great illustration, should've told me before I spoke." Now, if I know what he's speaking on, I'll offer first.

[Archangel]

And sgian dubh.

I forgot I even had the sgian dubh on me. As I walked into the court house past a sign that said anybody was subject to search, I thought "this ought to be fun." I guess traffic court is pretty low security, because no one ever searched anybody, and I walked right through the metal detector (sgian dubh and all) with no problem.

M

On the way to my citizenship ceremony last Monday, my wife asked if I was wearing my skean dhu. I said no since I was going into a court and expected tight security. At the court I remembered that I had my real "skean dhu" tucked away. Then I worried but the security was pretty slack, or normal, for here.

[Alan H]

By FAR and away the most common comment I get when kilted is some variation on "do you play the bagpipes?"....

Only once have I even had "the look" and that was from a pair of young Hispanic males who in all honesty, had probably never even heard of a kilt before in all their lives. 98 percent of the reactions of folks is total nothing... one percent is the bagpipes qustion. All the other reactions combined make up the other one percent.