Unkilted Kilt High - or Don't Quit Kilting

[Riverkilt]

I've been a kilt junkie for six years now. I live in a small town of 6,000 people but we have a large hospital because we get about 3 million tourists a year and they often manage to get banged up on the river, in the canyons, or out on the lake.

I've lived here a bit over nine years now and when I first got here worked as a crisis worker so was at the hospital a lot. Later served on the Hospital Tax District board of directors for a few years. So the local hospital is like home turf to me.

When I started wearing kilts in this small town I heard about it from a lot of directions. Some support and a LOT of teasing. But hey - what you think of me is none of my business and I'm lovin' my kilts.

Tonight I got called out to the hospital ER to notarize a petition to send a suicidal lady to the psychiatric hospital against her will (yeah, I'm one of those Notary Publics too). I was getting ready for bed so I just tossed on some cut offs, sandals, and a t-shirt and went over to the ER to notarize the petition.

When I got there two of my favorite lady docs were on duty with a lady respiratory therapist. All they could say repeatedly was, "Where's your kilt?" "Why aren't you wearing a kit?"

Ladies love kilts. So guys, if you're new to kilting and live in a small town stick to your guns, wear your kilts whenever YOU want to, and folks will come around.

I mean jeez, you'd think I'd done something WRONG the way they were bemoaning the fact that I didn't wear a kilt to visit them.

Driving home it felt REAL GOOD!

[Whidbey78]

I understand where you're coming from. My town is about six hundred, though Chadron State College is about 20 miles away. About 5000 there, counting 3000 or so students...and other than that there's a Wal Mart(I may wind up on the POWM site someday). This is cowboy country, so when we go out, there are boots, buckles, jeans, and hats...then me in my tartan glory.

I catch A LOT of guff, mostly friendly from the old guys but some real crap from the youngsters. The ladies do love it though!! And it makes my wife territorial sometimes. Oh and if you really want to catch the eye of the ladies, carry your 5 month old cute as all getup son while kilted.

It's not unusual to see me in p@n+s at work, but if we go to any event and I'm not kilted I'll be asked "why" a thousand times!!

Stick it out in the small towns. Once people are used to it they almost expect it and if they shun you for it who cares? The world is too big for small minds!

[wepollard]

I to live in a town of about 6000. I am well known because I do a lot of volunteer work (got to keep busy). When I started wearing kilts I got some comments from my friends, mostly good comments or polite inquiries. Occasionally a stranger asks "why are you wearing a skirt?" But only one person made a derogatory comment about my kilt and I expected that he would so I didn't bother to respond. Now everyone expects to see me kilted.

[bchunter]

Good story, Ron, and I'm not surprised about your feelings afterwards. I live in a small town too, with tons of Scottish heritage around here, but I wear a kilt more often and anyone else in town. It is rare that I hear anything negative, and almost as rare that I don't hear something positive. I get lots of questions at church when not wearing a kilt.

[Bugbear]

All right, Ron, I'll be the skeptic. It sounds like you were receiving more attention from the ladies than usual by not wearing the kilt. How do we know that the kilt is not suppressing your mating calls, and the ladies and you are confabulating the effect to the kilt being absent because that is what they notice?

[Riverkilt]

No clue "doc"....they just seemed MOST disappointed I wasn't kilted...like they WANTED to see me in a kilt for THEIR happiness....

[cessna152towser]

I live in a town of 15,000. I first started wearing a kilt as everyday wear in January 2003 when I had a leg injury and was on crutches for a few weeks, and since then everybody expects to see me wearing a kilt. I very rarely get any comments on my kilts but if I venture out in shorts or trousers I am frequently asked where's the kilt today.

Interesting point about being a Notary Public. I was appointed as a Notary Public about 1975/76 and at the time the appointment was for life. However new legislation by the Scottish Parliament substantially reduced the numbers of Notaries Public and my appointment was terminated last year. I received a letter advising me of the terms of the new Act and that I should no longer act as a Notary after the date it came into force. I agree with the purpose of the legislation, there had been some serious cases of abuse of power by certain Notaries Public, Justices of the Peace and other similar office holders, and something needed to be done so that these appointments could be ended if appropriate, but I feel that the new legislation goes much further than needed.

[Riverkilt]

Notaries are different in the U.S. Only verify signatures etc. Not like Mexico or other countries where its big stuff. We are the foundation of keeping the system "legal" but have no legal powers.

[JelicoCat]

I have been the emergency room there. People who work there are nice.

[Detroitpete]

Ron,

I cannot even imagine what you would like like without a kilt!