I think I get it SVHunter...you don't show where on the planet you live...guessing maybe a small town.

After I became addicted to kilts I soon grew to wearing them all the time.

After over two years a situation at work put me back into pants in the workplace for a few months. While I for sure missed being kilted I also found there was a certain comfort in "blending in" to the rest of the world. Not being "different." Not talking about at work, but on the stops before and after work to shop etc.

At 63 I'm like James...I don't much care what other folks think of me...but the comfort in being "camouflaged" in pants was just that...a comfort...no compliments to accept, no "cute" comments to respond to, no tourists trying to sneak my photo, no questions about my nationality. Bifurcated I was much less comfortable, but I could go about my business uninterupted. I found a certain comfort in that.

But then being in a kilt is still a comfort and a joy. Today at work I was wearing my Gordon modern tartan kilt and a coworker asked me about it. It was nice to take the time to explain my House of Gordon lineage and have him listen because he wanted to know more.

As others have posted, life isn't all black or white, its a a myriad of tartans. Enjoy the ride.

Ron