Resistance from Family and Friends

[Rob Wright]

My mom's side of the family is interesting, I have a lot of traits from her father, my grandfather, and I've been known to drive them crAzy by pulling the same stuff on them that he did. They are deeply conservative basing their judgements on people largely based on politics I come in and raise hell and they can't wrap their brains around it. Boomp's would be proud, that's what we all called my grandfather. He was an only child who durting the depression would hang out with the hobo's at the train yards as a child. He rode a motorcycle and was welcome in most biker bars in Vallejo California. Was an engineer at Mare Island shipyard and built nuclear submarines. Did a stint in the army and helped hunt down Nazi's, at the time of his death some of what he did in Germany was still classified(Reminder, see if anything new as been declassified).

My dad's side, the Wright's and Douglas' love me wearing the kilt ,though some don't get the everyday wear part, a little too much Missouri Hillbilly in them I definately have the Douglas temper but I've learned to control myself very well. I at the point I don't care what the average person thinks. As long as I'm not making an **** out of myself.

Rob

[Archangel]

Me, I'm blessed, my mom, brothers and sister, wife and kids are more critical of my other clothes.

So here's the thing, my favourite philosopher, Musashi, says recognize what you are good at and apply those skills to everything you do. My family is harsher about some other stuff that I'm more sensitive about. What to do? Well, I stewed for years until a very supportive friend noted that I had decades of interest and asked if my critics were qualified to give a verdict. Well, no, they're not. I knew that as soon as the question was put that way. From there, I sought qualified assessment followed by qualified training. So now I'm getting pretty good at something I was told from childhood that I have no skill in. I'm still sensitive about it but I'm making progress.

What's my point? There's probably other things you do that have shocked or dismayed your family but they've learned to accept. Reflect on that progression and apply the same principles.

Another friend was telling me about getting a powder blue, polyester, bell-bottomed, wide lapel with some kind of fur trim suit in the early 70s - tailor made, yet!! And he wants to criticize me in a kilt? (Going a bit off topic here but, I've mentioned I collect photos of WW1 kilties, I have a photo of a Scottish POW who is the spitting image of this man, kilted and defiant. When he gets too much, I bring out the photo and show it to the others. It quiets him down for a while.)