I live in a gated community here in the desert that's populated mostly by "Snowbirds". I went to my first resort "Welcome Back" dinner/dance on Friday without my late wife and it was hard for me, but rather than just blend in I decided to wear my kilt..........so now some people think I'm so crazed with grief that I've "lost it". That's what a few of them said to my close friends, who quickly came to my defense. I don't let that bother me because it's coming from people with bad face lifts, terrible toupes, multiple marriages, and shorts on with nasty varicose veins. Not to mention grossly diseased livers from all the heavy drinking.........and I'm the one who's "lost it"? I was walking to my table and a woman I know shouted out "What are you doing?", so I just began walking in slow motion, slowly swinging my arms like a robot, and said in a stuttered voice, "I'm w-a-l-k-i-n-g to my t-a-b-l-e". Then I walked towards her and she said, "I know that........why?", as she pointed to my kilt. She was sitting with several couples I did not know, and I just said, "it's a new hobby of mine and I enjoy wearing it.......isn't it cool?". They all looked at me as if I were crazy, and I didn't care. Naturally, I got "The Question" frequently, and my response to that now is "Why do you want to know if I'm wearing underwear?". No one seems to know how to answer that one! I also had a number of people start telling me about their Scottish heritage, their clan tartans, and all sorts of other connections to the kilt. One Canadian fellow told me that he has a Prince Charlie outfit and he promised to wear it on New Year's Eve. I told him to bring it down and wear it all the time like I do....we'll see. An elderly man came up to me and whispered in my ear, "Do you know how to find out a Scot's name?". I said "No". He replied, "You lift up his kilt, and if you see a quarter pounder.......he's a McDonald!". He then just walked away. It sure is fun wearing a kilt!
Cheers!
RB