Darn Stereotypes

[Inchessi]

I have been wanting to share an indecent that does not fall neatly into stereotypes. I have been unsure how to write without undue negative bias. The nearest town is small, and run on the "Good ole Boy" system. When I need something I usually have to travel to a much larger city. The larger city refers to itself as "Progressive, Forward Thinking, Green" If there is a city outside of Scotland that would welcome the wearing of a kilt, it would be this large city.

I needed to pick up some work tools, that are only sold in two stores within 76 miles. I decided to sport my SWK Black Watch, and my Purdue Hoody (Go Boilers!). I am biased, I do love that kilt. I love the way it fits, looks, and the price I paid. (Not spam, really, no Really)

I needed petro, so I stopped at the gas station in the small town. Bubba, Bubba, Bubba, and LeRoy pull up in a lifted pick-up with matching pit bulls, they might have been Am. Staffs.. My military mind starts calculating as the one who looks most like Larry the Cable Guy looks at my Kilt and says, "Cool." I top off, pay and leave without indecent. In retrospect, he may have been referring to my Purdue Hoody, or USMC decal on my Jeep window.

I get into the larger city, and parking is atrocious. The store I need to go to is in the "Old Town" area. Art shops, Bistro's, Boutiques, and Adventurer stores fill the area. The only reason this store is there is because the owner bought the store long before I was born. In the intrest of full disclosure, there is a Hippy store nearby that sells a plethora of great coffee beans, yeah, I am stopping there as well. Short story long, I have to do a lot of walking. I received comments, from people in a hurry driving past. Nice dress, Ugly woman, ect. The only non-negative comment I received there was "What, something special today?"

The comments don't bother me, they just happen. It was the idea that they happened where I did not expect them. I found the whole day a bizarre trip into reversal land.

[tulloch]

Strange. I always expect the best from people and that includes them being polite. Maybe its my age or having lived through my teen years and now having teenagers but I remember the good things and quickly forget the bad. You have to remember that there might be lame attempts to be light and funny. I refer to myself sometimes as the man in the skirt. If someone else says it I notice it more.

[Iain Robb]

Don't let it unnerve you. I was just reading a story about the young black men who took seats at a Woolworth's lunch counter in the Southern USA in 1960, when "coloreds" weren't served there, and one of them spoke of his apprehension soon afterward as an elderly white woman approached. He thought she might even pull out knitting needles and stab them.

Instead, she said something to the effect of, "I'm proud of you. Wish you would've done it 10 years ago."

Yes, you can and should forget about stereotypes. But don't let that make you fear people who "should" respect the kilt.

[Zardoz]

How cosmopolitan of the city folk! I think the whole "Progressive, Forward Thinking, Politically Correct, Multiculturalism" attitude thing is often just a glamour covering the real fears, insecurites and isolation that most urban dwellers feel.
I feel like most small town folk are generally more accepting of whatever 'differences' folks may have.

Or they are at least polite enough to keep their mouth shut!

[dutchy kilted]

I have in fact found that small towns and smaller cities, where I would think that a kilt would attract the least positive attention, is usually where I am greeted with the most compliments and thoughful questions. Maybe people with open minds find their way to the smaller cities.

Of course, there is always the consideration that a certain percentage of the population are born idiots (or insert other noun here), and in s large city there are just numerically going to be more of them.

[McFarkus]

My son's assumption is that anyone he meets is an idiot or an ***. No benefit of the doubt - they have to prove otherwise.

OTOH I tend to give folks the benefits of the doubt, but it's hard when they've had the following operation

[Paul]

I've had a few negative comments but I've never really let me feel paranoid or put me down... especially since the comments have been extremely petty. I prefer not to wear my kilt around large cities when I'm alone, as I normally have my headphones on or am clearing my head walking around and don't want to stand out.
On a few occasions I've managed to walk a few miles through Glasgow and receieve absolutely no comments to me personally... I wasnt sure if that meant that no one really cared or that people were talking about me, rather than to me!

[Lyle1]

I have in fact found that small towns and smaller cities, where I would think that a kilt would attract the least positive attention, is usually where I am greeted with the most compliments and thoughful questions. Maybe people with open minds find their way to the smaller cities. Of course, there is always the consideration that a certain percentage of the population are born idiots (or insert other noun here), and in s large city there are just numerically going to be more of them.

Truthfully, I think it has more to do with people being idiots than where they live. I've lived in really large cities, small cities, small towns, and really small towns. I most often found that people in the larger cities simply don't care that you are different as long as you don't smell and stand too close, and people in the smaller towns worried about anybody whose family they did not know back several generations. But I really believe that there are simply a certain number of idiots everywhere.

[wvpiper]

I found the whole day a bizarre trip into reversal land.

It's referred to as Bizarro World

Incidentally, I find your assumptions that the 4 boys in the lifted truck must be named 'Bubba' and 'Leroy', and by implication ignorant hillbillies, to be a bit hypocritical.

[Inchessi]

Incidentally, I find your assumptions that the 4 boys in the lifted truck must be named 'Bubba' and 'Leroy', and by implication ignorant hillbillies, to be a bit hypocritical.

I was attempting to give a description of the men and the small town atmosphere without being overly negative, or using unnecessarily derogatory terminology. I believed that if any terms would have raised hackles, it would have been the reference to the "Hippy Store." Then again, people will find any reason to be offended.

The trip did not bother me, this wasn't my first rodeo. I merely found it odd that where I expected negativity was acceptance, and vise versa.