I Met Marlee Matlin!!!!

Last night, our local college had Marlee Matlin come and speak. I drove my little car to the campus... looking for a building with a clock on the top, right off of 7th Street. I drove back and forth on 7th street several times... but the only building I saw with a clock on top was the power station! So, at 6:35 (it started at 7 PM) I turned my little car around and headed to the library.

I ran in, (literally, since it was freezing cold and rainy and windy and just generally gross.) and headed straight to the computer lab. I got on a computer, and printed out a map of the campus... ran back out to the car, and hurried back over to 7th street. Found the parking lot across from where the auditorium was supposed to be, and looked for a space... of course, none were available. None, that is... except three handicap spaces. Yes, out of the 30 parking spaces, 10 were labled handicapped. So, since there WERE 2 other spaces left, and the other 7 were all taken by other non-handicap-stickered people, I parked there. Which was rather hypocritical, considering I was on my way to listen to an actress talk about her disability... but hey, I could barely find a huge auditorium... can you imagine me trying to find another parking lot?!!!

So, I got out of my car and crossed the street, in the nasty icky rain, still not seeing a building with a clock on the top. Turns out, it was BEHIND another building!! How the heck was I supposed to find THAT from the street? I rolled my eyes at the idiot who gave me directions, and proceeded into the auditorium... which was contained at least 50% college students.

Have I ever told you how much I despise college students? I will have to rant about it a later time. But I sat in my little seat, got out my yarn, and crocheted until Marlee came out.

She was AMAZING!!!!!!! She had SUCH an amazing personality! I had no idea I would spend that much of my evening laughing... she was hilarious! She talked about her childhood, her parents, and how she got her start in Hollywood. (She literally went up to Henry Winkler, and told him she wanted to be an actress! OMW! Go Marlee!) She talked about how supportive Henry Winkler had been of her career, and the various roles she had played in AFTER the "experts" in Hollywood said she would never work there again.

At the end, they had question-and-answer time... and I actually ASKED a question!!! Two of them, in fact!! (yes, I shocked myself... as a matter of fact, two steps into walking down the isle toward the mic, I was like "JANA, WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU THINKING?!" lol But I waited for my turn, and then asked what had been on my mind all night.)

So what were my deeply intellectual and mature questions?

*dramatic pause*

#1. I notice that when I see you in a cast photo, you are always the shortest person... (at this point, I was interupted by a mock-offended look by Marlee, and lots of laughter from the crowd... she pointed out that her interpreter (Jack) was much shorter than her, and that she was not the shortest person on Dancing With The Stars (next season! Vote for Marlee!). Then Jack asked me if there was a question... (I think it was Jack... sometimes he interpreted for Marlee, and sometimes he spoke for himself.. I was a bit confused.) and of course, my question to her was "How tall ARE you?" and her answer was 5'3". I did NOT expect her to be that tall! Good grief, either she just happened to have really tall co-stars, or those Hollywood women are freakishly tall!

Now that my short-person-pride had been satisfied... I moved on to question #2.

#2. Henry Winkler was very supportive of you as an actress... have you been able offer this kind of support to the next generation?
Her answer surprised me... not only had she helped someone through the Make A Wish Foundation, but she also actually ANSWERS the letters sent to her by kids!!! As a person who barely survived childhood, I can SO totally get how huge of a difference that makes in those kids lives.

That answer, more than the laughter she brought to the stage, the wise comments she made, or anything else she did last night... is why Marlee Matlin is my hero.