close encounter of the weird kind

[Sasquatch]

I took my family up to the NC (Appalachian) mountains for a few days last week - beating the 100+ F heat wave. On Friday, I felt bold enough to do some sightseeing skirted, thinking the odds would be low that I would come upon an uncomfortable situation. Of course, something odd was bound to happen. The decision to leave the cottage skirted was much to the chagrin of my wife - and the horror of my adolescent kids - but she held her tongue and indulged me.

On the summit of Mt. Mitchell, a popular tourist park, we were taking in the sights and remorsing the fact that the trail to the peak was closed for repair of the observation tower, when my wife pointed out a gentleman a few yards away, surrounded by people. "Isn't that Bob Dole?" she asked me, and sure enough it was the Doles - former US Senator (R., Kansas) and 1996 Presidential candidate Robert Dole and wife, current US Senator (R., NC) Elizabeth Dole.

I was in my camo skirt, a (by that time) sweaty T shirt, trail sandals, baseball cap, and wearing sunglasses and an anklet chain. Being a shy sort and a large, not-unnoticable man, I was really in no mood to look closer, and intended to head the other way. But my very outgoing wife had to go up to shake hands and speak to Elizabeth Dole - she wanted to share a moment with a very successful woman, I guess. Politically, we don't have much in common with the Doles. We're pretty middle-of-the-road, neither flaming liberals or stone-faced conservatives.

Luckily, Bob Dole strayed from the area before we got close, so it was just our Senator I had to contend with. After my wife did her talking and I took their photo, I introduced myself. I tried to be courteous, and mumbled a few words thanking her for her interest in Second Harvest, Society of St Andrew, and farmland protection - the few issues with which I could solidly agree with her - and shook her hand.

I'd have to reflect that she seemed much more unnerved by the sight of me than I was from seeing her! She was gracious, however, and fired off some names and offices of her in-state staff, then smiled and darted away. I could sense that she was trying hard not to look at the skirt, also seemed to be looking around her for, I suspect, either a security guard or to make sure she wasn't being photographed shaking hands with a man in a skirt!

There were a lot of other tourists around with cameras and cell phones, so if we show up on You Tube, I won't be surprised. Since she has spent substantially more of her life in (bizarre) Washington DC than in (traditional) NC, I would have expected that she had seen her share of odd sights and that my appearance would not seem like much in comparison. I hope that's the case.

Well, that's about it. BTW, Bob Dole is a much smaller, frailer man than he appears on TV. And Elizabeth Dole has lost so much weight that she looks spindly and unhealthy. I liked her better with a little meat on her bones. I'm still mulling the experience over, and am not sure what to make of it. It certainly exceeded my comfort level and I think I'll retreat into the closet with my alternative fashions for a while, though not forever.

Sasq

[Departed Member]

Dole? Do they make those rather excellent tinned diced fruits?

Sounds like a pretty 'positive' meet to me. Even if they were a little non-plussed by your anklet-chain (I would have had reservations, too!), at least they were civil and polite. Politicians are 'quare' folk at the best of times - but they do have to contend with meeting all sorts! I couldn't have ventured out in those sort of temperatures (60F = very hot, to me!), so I commend your choice of venue. But there's no way I would have been brave enough to go out wearing an anklet-chain! Doff my cap to you, Sir!

[Sasquatch]

Thank you, Merlin. And happy to hear that your wife is fit as a fiddle, too!
Sasq

[Skirt Chaser]

I'm still mulling the experience over, and am not sure what to make of it. It certainly exceeded my comfort level and I think I'll retreat into the closet with my alternative fashions for a while, though not forever.

Just think of all the men who decide to skirt openly only away from home in the secure knowledge that "nobody knows me" which can always be blown by bumping into a celebrity and ending up on news footage. Sasquatch, your experience is a good reminder that things don't always go as planned. Glad to hear you didn't make the national news.

Quiet Mouse

[crfriend]

I'm still mulling the experience [of meeting the Doles] over, and am not sure what to make of it. It certainly exceeded my comfort level and I think I'll retreat into the closet with my alternative fashions for a while, though not forever.

[...] Sasquatch, your experience is a good reminder that things don't always go as planned. Glad to hear you didn't make the national news.

For one, I hope that Sasquatch doesn't retreat back into the closet -- even for a moment -- because that's handing the detractors a "win", and that's something we don't want to do. Stand tall, and don't let on that you're well outside your "comfort zone" (even -- especially -- if you are). Be proud and exude confidence -- you had it to wear the skirt and accessories (is that a forbidden word for guys?) in the first place -- did it all just evaporate in one *poof*?

Bear in mind that things seldom "go as planned", and when they do it's frequently a happy accident. Just accept the fact that if you wear "unconventional" (for westerners, that is) garb you'll be seen. Recall, too, that the world is an astonishingly small place and you can just as easily run into a "local" who knows you in some fairly far-flung parts. The takeaway is, "Don't sweat it; if it happens, it happens. It can all be explained later."

Edit 2007-08-20T23:10:15 UTC: How in blazes did I come up with "forbedded" for "forbidden"? Yikes!

[WSmac]

Just finished a lengthy check of youtube and couldn't find you and the Dole's anywhere.

I hope your '15 minutes of fame' didn't pass so quickly without some notice.


p.s. glad you had the opportunity to enjoy yourself in comfort

[Skirt Chaser]

The takeaway is, "Don't sweat it; if it happens, it happens. It can all be explained later."

Yep, he lived to tell the tale. Most things are survivable and I agree don't let this scare you Sasq. Look at it this way, if you can converse with a national figure in a skirt you can do it anywhere. Besides, most people don't have pressing needs that trump the desire to be a skirted man out in the world.

Some people live in scary jurisdictions where skirts could prejudice a child custody decision, others have to balance family needs against skirt styles, and some men might have trouble with certain security clearances (though in that case a closet skirter would be more disadvantaged than an out man). It is a personal decision to weigh. From what I read here though, the men that make the leap to skirts whenever and wherever they want seem to have come through the process realizing that the imagined fears were greater than the real experience provided. Bet it also rubs off in increased confidence in other areas too.

Quiet Mouse

[iain]

There's another aspect as well -- I notice your wife wasn't at all embarrassed to let a national figure see that her partner was wearing a skirt!

If she'd been genuinely embarrassed by it, she'd also have wanted to keep a low profile. Usually women see men as an extenion of themselves, which is why they get all fussy about how you look etc -- the better you look, the more it raises her value by asociation.

So it tells me that her initial chagrin was only superficial and she must have forgotten all about it by the time she was introducing herself to the Doles!

[Sasquatch]

She wasn't exactly thrilled about it, but she wasn't going to let her goofball husband spoil the opportunity. I can count on her to stick by me but I also know when I need to show a bit of deference to her reservations. Anyway, we're not on "Divorce Court" yet!
Sasq

[iain]

Oh, if you weren't a little different she wouldn't feel the same about you. At least you know you're not replaceable!

It can really make a difference, to be yourself. I met a Brazilian woman once on holiday and I thought, I really have nothing to lose. So the whole week I wore sarongs, beach skirts, any kind of skirt thing I wanted. She loved it.

She said it made much more sense for guys to wear skirts and two years later she still says she can never forget me because I was so different!