Langara College’s Paper Dresses

When I was a teacher, I taught drama and I had to do extra-curricular shows with my students twice a year. On one occasion, I did a series of short plays with them so that we could take them to old age homes and hospitals to entertain shut-ins.

It went well until we went to our first hospital. When we got there, two of my student actors just could not handle what they were seeing — the patients. I’d grown up with an institutionalized mother, so it was my first experience with people who could not handle seeing people with disabilities. They meant no offence to the patients; they apologized and expressed disappointment in themselves but they could not do the show.

That experience is helping me accept (and not take personally) being dumped by some people since becoming a person who stutters and has seizures.

I’m not surprised that some friends cannot understand or accept what’s going on with me. Not even some doctors understand psychogenic disorders — hence my impending visiting to a neurologist as some doctors continue to search for pathology to explain my symptoms. I’m certain their search will be in vain.

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My designer friend, who lives in London, has sold some designs to a huge international retail chain. His designs are going to be applied to stroller blankets sold by the company. I absolutely love his designs and selling a design series to a global retail chain is a huge accomplishment. I’m really proud of him.

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How horrible is the weather? So wet that for lack of other things to do on Wednesday, I cleaned out both my storage lockers. Whoever handles my estate is going to appreciate that I liked getting rid of things as much as getting things.

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Here are photos of the paper dresses I went with Cathy to see on Thursday. I thought they were original creations, but they aren’t; they are paper interpretations of real dresses. A photo of the real haute couture dress is displayed with each paper dress.

Also they are built onto the mannequins. They are sculptures, like mine, not dresses. They cannot be worn. But as sculptures, they are lovely. They were done my students in Langara College’s fashion design program. Here are my photos: