giggling little girls

**keepoffgrass** · 2nd December 07, 08:38 PM

Me and my girl went out to see a movie this afternoon, and when the movie let out, she decided she needed to stop at Wal-mart for a few things. I hate that place... anyways, its a Sunday afternoon in December, so of course Wal-mart is jam packed full of xmas shoppers and what not. We head to the back of the store to pick up some yarn for some various projects she and her mom are working on.

So, were standing there, and some little girl runs around the corner and almost into me. This starts a "giggling fit" with her friend. I'd say these girls were about 10 or so. After a minute or two of non stop giggling in the isle behind us, I hear the little girl say "I saw a guy in a skirt over there" then I hear a mans voice, I assume the girls father, " really? was he cute?" in a bit of a mocking voice.

Thats when I said quite loudly over the giggling and chatter, " Its a KILT actually" The absolute silence was all the response I got. lol Judging by the quick hush and no other return comment, and that they high tailed it out of there when I corrected them, I think both the man and the girls may have learned a bit of a lesson.

In a place a culturely diverse as here, people tend to see the kilt and respect it as an item of strong cultural identity. For the most part I rarely get a second glance unless its followed by a very nice and respectful comment, by either men and women. You see Polynesian men wearing lava- lavas here all the time in public. So the idea to seeing a man in something unbifurcated isn't out of the norm at all here. I blame bad parenting for the rudeness here. Though I do admit, that its unlikely those girls had ever seen a kilt before, even on tv, and most likely didnt know what it was. At any rate, respect is a lesson the parents should insist on teaching their children, and the correction was important.

**Bugbear** · 2nd December 07, 08:59 PM

That is a little odd if men wear lava lavas and that kind of clothing a lot in the area that the girls would giggle.

**Rex_Tremende** · 2nd December 07, 09:03 PM

Well, little girls and little boys at that age tend to giggle a lot. This Thursday I was treated to a parade of giggling children as I was walking back to my office from lunch and a school assembly was filing out of the performing arts center - and I was in a suit and overcoat!

Granted, I have a big handlebar moustache and goatee and was sporting a santa hat. Maybe that was it.

Oh, and the fur trim was faux cheetah.

I'm just glad the little urchins had a good day downtown.

Regards,
Rex.

**keepoffgrass** · 2nd December 07, 09:13 PM

Originally Posted by Rex_Tremende

Well, little girls and little boys at that age tend to giggle a lot. This Thursday I was treated to a parade of giggling children as I was walking back to my office from lunch and a school assembly was filing out of the performing arts center - and I was in a suit and overcoat!

Granted, I have a big handlebar moustache and goatee and was sporting a santa hat. Maybe that was it.

Oh, and the fur trim was faux cheetah.

I'm just glad the little urchins had a good day downtown.

Regards,
Rex.

Well, the giggling little girls weren't the part that really peeved me, it was rude, but kids are kids. It was the comment made by the father, that was, in my opinion "bad parenting" he didn't correct them, or even bother to look at the situation, he opened his mouth without thinking and said something equally rude. Thats when I corrected them. But he must have realized he stuck his foot in is mouth, because "the guy in the skirt" corrected their ignorance, and they all shut up real quick and left.

**Nighthawk** · 2nd December 07, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by Rex_Tremende

Well, little girls and little boys at that age tend to giggle a lot. This Thursday I was treated to a parade of giggling children as I was walking back to my office from lunch and a school assembly was filing out of the performing arts center - and I was in a suit and overcoat!

Granted, I have a big handlebar moustache and goatee and was sporting a santa hat. Maybe that was it.

Oh, and the fur trim was faux cheetah.

I'm just glad the little urchins had a good day downtown.

Regards,
Rex.

Yes, kids do tend to giggle a lot. Kids are great. I love kids so much. It's most adults I can't seem to wrap my mind around.

**Bugbear** · 2nd December 07, 09:53 PM

Hmmm, looking at it a different way, the father didn't see you. You could have been wearing any number of things including even been crossdressing for
all he knew, so his comment wasn't very careful. He might not have even thought there was a chance you could hear it. Lately I usually go to Walmart
kilted, and I'm a bit more worried about some kid crashing into me while running wildly around and not being watched by the parents, than what they are
saying about my kilt. It really is scarey in that store...

**James MacMillan** · 2nd December 07, 10:12 PM

That's a little strange. You are on the island of Kauai, right?

I would think that many (even ten year olds) would have seen the Kain, Lava-lava, Sulu, Pareo, Laplap, or Kikepa to name but a few of the polonesian dress.

**Nighthawk** · 2nd December 07, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by keepoffgrass

At any rate, respect is a lesson the parents should insist on teaching their children, and the correction was important.

As a parent of two myself, I agree completely. It's utterly assanine the complete lack of respect kids have these days. What passes for parenting is absolutely disgusting to me.

**TheKiltedWonder** · 5th December 07, 09:28 PM

Originally Posted by Nighthawk

As a parent of two myself, I agree completely. It's utterly assanine the complete lack of respect kids have these days. What passes for parenting is absolutely disgusting to me.

Having been a child not too terribly long ago, I'd like to stand up for world's children. I've been a student teacher and to be honest, I was a little appalled at what some of the high schoolers thought was appropriate behavior and was an appropriate way to address an authority figure. But while the egregious examples of behavior stick out in ones mind, it's easy to forget about the counter-examples because they aren't so jarring. Cultural norms change as well, and each generation's adults complain about how the latest generation is the worst. But society hasn't come apart at the seams yet and sweeping generalizations never paint an accurate picture.

I must say though, that if I had been in your situation, I wouldn't have really been offended. The kilt is a skirt after all and the father directed attention away from the kilt itself and towards the person wearing it. And isn't that what a lot of us want?

**keepoffgrass** · 2nd December 07, 11:09 PM

Yeah, I live on Kauai and as I said, seeing a man in an unbifurcated garment isn't out of the ordinary here, I see Polynesians males wearing various unbifurcated clothing all the time. Though a kilt is a bit different I admit. It doesn't look anything like any of the various Polynesian clothing. However identifying a kilt isn't the real issue, it was the ignorance of the parent that was the issue.

He shouldn't have handled the situation the way he did. Whether he saw me or not. whether he thought I could hear him or not, or even if there was a cross dresser there or not. He basically was giving the kids the go ahead to behave disrespectfully. Loudly in public no less. Thats just ignorance. The kids should have been corrected, or at least quieted. But instead they get taught that "dad speaks without thinking" so it must be ok.