I'm still alive.

[Mr. Kilt]

Happy New Year to all my old friends, and to all the new members here.


Karen and I, Christmas 2005.

I haven't posted much at all over the past 7 years since moving away from Alberta. My kilt wearing almost came to a standstill once we moved to Manitoba, due to the type of work I was doing and the new lifestyle my wife and I were living. I can count on my fingers the number of times I kilted up...quite a difference from my nearly 24/7 kilt wearing days of the past.

I've decided to sell off my entire kilt wardrobe. The reason why will be found below. I'll be posting pictures and prices in the for sale section shortly.

As some of you know, I lost my wife to cancer in March of 2013. To honour her I wore a kilt to the memorial that was held for her in June of that year. That was the last time I've strapped one on. Since then life has been difficult, to say the least. Lots of ups and downs. I bought another Harley (first one since selling our last one in 2008) for some two-wheel therapy. Karen loved to ride on the back of my bike and was really disappointed when we sold our other one so I figured what better way to work through things than on another one.

To honour one of her last wishes I embarked on a couple of long rides so I could scatter some of her ashes over our favorite places, one out west in 2013, and an epic, 30-day 11,225 km journey out to the east coast this past summer. I got to meet some really cool people, got to ride the Cabot Trail with our own Robert Pel, scatter more of Karen's ashes (we had tried but failed to get to the east coast in the fall of 2012, after she'd been diagnosed), and I had time to "find"myself.

As much as I loved to wear a kilt and show off my Irish/Scottish pride, deep down the real reason behind why I started was carefully kept hidden. To be brutally honest, I felt that a kilt was the only legitimate way that I could wear something skirt-like without being ridiculed. I am transgender, male to female, and this year is the first time in my life I've accepted who I really am. I've been denying and repressing it since I was 4 or 5 years old. As I am finally comfortable in my own skin and can dress as I always felt I should, I no longer need my kilts and accessories. Plus, I'm almost broke from everything that has happened in the past 2 years.

I thank you for your time, and I hope I can find all of my things good homes.