Situation at Walmart -- or Clean-Up in Aisle 3

[Tobus]

The event that started this thread, I have to admit, is one of my nightmares for kilt-wearing. I, too, have had teenage girls point and giggle in a rude manner. But my wife made a loud and very disparaging comment which shooed them away. To my knowledge, they didn't get any pictures, but you never know what happens when your back is turned!

Some people just openly stare. I had a Middle-Eastern woman just last Friday do this. She just stopped in front of me and stared, mouth agape, as if she were looking at a lobster walking around on two legs.

This is one reason why I always try to pay more attention to my attire when kilted than I do when wearing trousers. I won't go out kilted in a slovenly or haphazard manner. If someone is going to take my picture (which as we all know is far more likely when kilted), I want to make sure I am dress in a picture-worthy manner!

The POWM site represents the worst of human nature, insofar as it glorifies making fun of people. But a lot of people whose pictures are on there would not be on there if they had just paid a little attention to themselves before leaving the house. Personal grooming and dressing with pride go a long way. If (God forbid) my picture ever ends up on that site or something similar, I would hope I could look at it and say I look great.

[CaseyB]

a lot of people whose pictures are on there would not be on there if they had just paid a little attention to themselves before leaving the house. Personal grooming and dressing with pride go a long way. If (God forbid) my picture ever ends up on that site or something similar, I would hope I could look at it and say I look great.

That's my thought about it as well. I think that the biggest problem that we have is lack of self-respect which leads to a lack of respect for others. As for the attention, I am 6'7" 350lbs and I have an identical twin brother. I guess I have learned to ignore stares and hushed comments because I never notice them but, on rare occasion, my friends are offended. One scenario that stands out in my mind happened at a local festival. My brother and I were there with a group of our friends and one of them said, "You should charge admission!" I had no idea what she was talking about but it seems that people were staring at us.

When I was younger I was VERY sensitive about by weight because I was forced to be by my classmates. There were some extremely rough times but since then I have realized that, as cliche as it sounds, my worth is got tied to my waist size and that I am able to do things that my detractors couldn't dream of. I have been able to develop a healthy sense of self-worth because I have a wonderful family and amazing friends who help me see past the pettiness of others.

[kc8ufv]

Nighthawk, I totally agree with what you're saying here about decency, but again... people look for any excuse to point and make fun of anyone who is outside of the norm. That includes kilts, unfortunately.

I just don't think the whole cameras constantly taking photos thing that Tartan Tess mentioned has been a big help for that sort of mentality. I've also seen that site a few times (can't stand it), and I've seen people ridiculed for things that really weren't an issue.

I've seen stuff from that site on other forums. Lots of non-issue stuff. Very annoying.

[Lallans]

I never say bad things about Wal*Mart. They provide things to people who couldn't otherwise afford them, and to cheapskates like me.

If confronted by those grrrls I would have posed for them and asked them if they were Scottish too, etc. There is nothing that kills fun quicker than a cooperative grownup- if I remember correctly. And regarding the girls, and despite my stated policy, any teen kid hanging around Wal*Mart isn't very sophisticated even in their own teen culture.

[Nighthawk]

The POWM site represents the worst of human nature, insofar as it glorifies making fun of people. But a lot of people whose pictures are on there would not be on there if they had just paid a little attention to themselves before leaving the house. Personal grooming and dressing with pride go a long way. If (God forbid) my picture ever ends up on that site or something similar, I would hope I could look at it and say I look great.

Exactly! It also represents a total lack of personal responsibility, which is an issue that I am having with my 12 year son. A conversation we had this morning:

Him- "My homework got ruined! It's not my fault!"
Me- "Was your homework in your notebook?"
Him- "No. It was in the bottom of my backpack and my water bottle broke!"
Me- "Well, it should have been in your notebook! I've told that over and over and over! Put your stuff away and it won't get ruined!"
Him- "Well, I'm not a fortune teller! How should I have known that my water bottle would break?"
Me- "Well you put things away so they don't get ruined if something does happen!! You need to redo it tonight after school, and then do the rest of your homework."
Him- "But it's not my fault!"

Kids, and it seems to me a lot of adults, simply don't get the whole "personal responsibility" thing. As you said, Tobus, I always go out of my house well turned out. I have a strong sense of pride in the traditions I represent and carry on. I always have my clothes on straight, I always have my shirt tucked in- even it's an Iron Maiden tour shirt. I look in the mirror and make sure things are lined up and falling where they should. It just takes a couple minutes, and you're less likely to end up on websites like that. Yes, it's sad that we feel a need to make fun of people, and we need to respect their privacy. But on the other hand, those people "would not be on there if they had just paid a little attention to themselves before leaving the house." They also need to take some responsibility. Frankly, if you look like a circus freak, people will react to you like you're a circus freak.

I've seen stuff from that site on other forums. Lots of non-issue stuff. Very annoying.

What- like people with extremely long hair? Yes, a lot of those pictures are just pointless.

[kc8ufv]

Exactly! It also represents a total lack of personal responsibility, which is an issue that I am having with my 12 year son. A conversation we had this morning:

Him- "My homework got ruined! It's not my fault!"
Me- "Was your homework in your notebook?"
Him- "No. It was in the bottom of my backpack and my water bottle broke!"
Me- "Well, it should have been in your notebook! I've told that over and over and over! Put your stuff away and it won't get ruined!"
Him- "Well, I'm not a fortune teller! How should I have known that my water bottle would break?"
Me- "Well you put things away so they don't get ruined if something does happen!! You need to redo it tonight after school, and then do the rest of your homework."
Him- "But it's not my fault!"

Kids, and it seems to me a lot of adults, simply don't get the whole "personal responsibility" thing. As you said, Tobus, I always go out of my house well turned out. I have a strong sense of pride in the traditions I represent and carry on. I always have my clothes on straight, I always have my shirt tucked in- even it's an Iron Maiden tour shirt. I look in the mirror and make sure things are lined up and falling where they should. It just takes a couple minutes, and you're less likely to end up on websites like that. Yes, it's sad that we feel a need to make fun of people, and we need to respect their privacy. But on the other hand, those people "would not be on there if they had just paid a little attention to themselves before leaving the house." They also need to take some responsibility. Frankly, if you look like a circus freak, people will react to you like you're a circus freak.



What- like people with extremely long hair? Yes, a lot of those pictures are just pointless.

There are those, though I am thinking of one with the focus on a 3yo, with a monkey-backpack style "leash". Was kinda a cute kid, nothing unusual about mom. This was posted over on WP, and caused a huge uproar.

[kiltedwolfman]

I notice things like this everyday with teenagers and to some degree preteens. They seem to have developed some kind of unjustified sence of entitlement, and to go along with that a total unwillingness to any kind of responsibility for themselves or their actions. I have commented to my wife that I think this newer generation does so little to develope thier own sence of worth that the only way they can bolster themselves is to ridicule others.

[Bugbear]

...What- like people with extremely long hair? Yes, a lot of those pictures are just pointless.

Do you still have long hair, Hawk?

I am not a fan of people who are disruptively nosey, or who's peripersonal space extends to everything they see.

[Nighthawk]

Do you still have long hair, Hawk?

I am not a fan of people who are disruptively nosey, or who's parapersonal space extends to everything they see.

You know what, Ted? I got sick of it back on one particularly hot August day, pulled out my electric razor, and shaved my head bald! It is a decision I have regretted ever since. My daughter likes to rub my head repeating "FuzzyWuzzyFuzzyWuzzyFuzzyWuzzyFuzzyWuzzyFuzzyWuzz yFuzzyWuzzy" until she runs out of breath and has to take a deep gasp so she can start it all over again. Drives me nuts! Darn kids...

I notice things like this everyday with teenagers and to some degree preteens. They seem to have developed some kind of unjustified sence of entitlement, and to go along with that a total unwillingness to any kind of responsibility for themselves or their actions. I have commented to my wife that I think this newer generation does so little to develope thier own sence of worth that the only way they can bolster themselves is to ridicule others.

Yeah, man! I don't get it! My daughter is not like that, but my son... I don't know where it comes from, either!! I know perfectly well that I didn't raise them that way!!

[Bugbear]

You know what, Ted? I got sick of it back on one particularly hot August day, pulled out my electric razor, and shaved my head bald! It is a decision I have regretted ever since. My daughter likes to rub my head repeating "FuzzyWuzzyFuzzyWuzzyFuzzyWuzzyFuzzyWuzzyFuzzyWuzz yFuzzyWuzzy" until she runs out of breath and has to take a deep gasp so she can start it all over again. Drives me nuts! Darn kids...

Ehh, what can you do. Have not cut mine sinse the summer of aught seven.

QUOTE=Nighthawk;927423]Yeah, man! I don't get it! My daughter is not like that, but my son... I don't know where it comes from, either!! I know perfectly well that I didn't raise them that way!! [/QUOTE]

I grew up in a family who does that going back at least a few generations; that is, ridicules and mocks everyone outside of their own set of views and so on. The two sides of the family oppose each other in world view, and perpetually insult each other behind backs.

It's difficult for me to accept that this is a new feature of the younger generations, but it may just be the situation in which I grew up. I can point to writings of the past that are not so polite about differences...

Think I'll ease out of the descussion...