Oh, two things came up and, unsure where to put them, I will just put them here since they came up at the ISAS games.
1) A gal with two kids and a spouse in tow, came running up to the table grinning broadly and said, "You must be Steven's cousin!" My extreme surprise at the comment must have registered on my face (how could it not, I guess) and she stepped back a step with a look of surprise on her face. "You're not Steven's cousin?" she asked. "I was told Steven's cousin would be here." I smiled and said, "Well, we are, technically, all cousins by right of the name, but a direct line relation, no, I'm not related in any way to him." She looked crestfallen. I said, "My family is from Fife on the opposite side of the island from where Steven is from." "Oh, really?" was her reply. "I'm sad that a cousin isn't here as I was told would be." "Well, we're all cousins because we share a name or place of ancestry. Isn't that what it's all about?" "Well, thank you," she said and walked away.
No, I didn't ask who told her and I was kicking myself later for not asking. It did run through my mind, but I couldn't think of a way to say it without it coming out confrontational since I was so shocked by her initial comment to begin with. I've reached the age where sometimes I can think on my feet, but most of the time, that talent escapes me. I simply tried to be calm and upbeat. I don't want to be associated with them but we are all "cousins" because of a shared Scottish ancestry. I have no feel for if she was a "plant" and I don't think anything I could have said could be counted on being reproduced without being twisted. It is what it is.
2) I was accosted by a woman who was upset at our name. "There is no 'p' in the Thomson name in Scotland!" she said, pointing at the banner. "My father came from Scotland. He is rolling in his grave right now at the notion of a society that has his name spelled wrong!"
(Shift into expository mode)Thanks to Cathy's genealogical expertise, I explained the heritage of my family name, how the 'p' shows up in the 1830's and what we suspect was the reason. She had 3 grown daughters with her who, when I explained my family, said, "Oh, makes sense." I also pointed out that the 'p' shows up on boat manifests and in church records and we aren't the only clan or family to have our name misspelled by others. She did say that "Thomson" is the more prevalent spelling in Scotland while "Thompson" is more prevalent in the US. I pointed to the parentheses around the 'p' and said we were doing that so all permutations of the name know we welcome them. She nodded that she understood the why it's just that her father was adamant that the 'p' is not Scottish and anyone using it isn't a real Scotsman. I looked at her and she said, hastily, "Well you can prove your name. Still, my father would be rolling, rolling, in his grave if he saw that 'p'." At this point, her daughters started to move her away.
Two of the daughters came back about 90 minutes later. They were volunteers from ISAS and handing out participation ribbons. They apologized profusely for their mother's insolence. I wasn't offended. I felt badly for her in that her insistence on the lack of 'p' in the name is the reason I'm here and not in Clan MacThomas. We are all inclusive and people want to see their name. We don't want to be considered an after thought. Mary informed me when I sent this account to her, that Thomsons with a 'p' existed way, way back so it seems to be simply a case of blinders and falling in with her father's prejudice. The only thing to do is be kind, let them rant and hope, that at some point, they will come to understand what we're doing here.
Deb