World Autism Awareness Day

Today--April 2--is World Autism Awareness Day.

I came across this commentary by Didi Conn on CNN.com regarding her struggles and triumphs in dealing with her son's autism and I wanted to share it with you in the hopes that you may gain a better understanding of autism.

A lot of you may remember Didi Conn from the movie "Grease" where she played the role of "Frenchy" in a memorable performance. I, however, remember her from a chance encounter on a train almost 30 years ago ('78-'79 timeframe).

I was a young lance corporal in the United States Marine Corps stationed at Camp Pendleton, California, with not much to do on the weekends since I was far from home, family and friends. I got into the habit on payday weekends to take a train ride either up or down the California coast so that I can see and visit all the beautiful towns that dot the coastal state.

One weekend, as I prepared to board a train in Los Angeles back to Oceanside, Ca., I saw a lady at the gift counter that looked familiar to me. I knew it couldn't have been someone I knew since I'm sure a relative or friend would have told me they would be coming to California, yet I couldn't help but feel I knew this girl.

I entered the gift shop and suddenly realized it was Didi Conn! You'll probably laugh at me now, but I can't tell you how many times I had seen "Grease" and "You Light Up My Life" when they first came out on the big screen (this is before DVDs and yes, even VCRs!). I was absolutely sure it was her and was happily surprised when she boarded the same train I was catching.

I followed her to her seat and she sat on one side of the isle and I sat on the other. She was carrying a lot of paper and a couple of large yellow envelopes with her. Once the train started moving, she got up to go to the bathroom and I leaned over to see if the address label said her name. It did.

When she returned to her seat I leaned over and asked if she was Didi Conn. She said yes and I proceeded to tell her I was her biggest fan! I also told her she was the first celebrity I had met in California and then told her how much I enjoyed watching her movies. She gave me a genuine smile and then asked me to sit next to her. She then said I could ask her any question about anything I wanted to know about her and making movies, the only stipulation she added was that I couldn't ask her any questions about her boyfriend. She took my hand and I asked her questions and she answered them until the train pulled into Oceanside. As you can see, I will never forget that kind gesture from a celebrity to a very appreciative fan.