We recently found out that our youngest, Carson, is autistic. That is a whole story in itself, but is important since autism is becoming more and more common and people still know so little about it.

We suffer with it every day, just in taking care of him - but we suffer even more when we see other kids make fun of him or we go out in public and realize that people don't accept or tolerate anyone who is "different."

Well, regardless of their level of disability and type of autism within the spectrum, autistic people tend to have certain trademark symptoms - inability to have normal social interchanges, fascination with numbers/patterns and a host of things. Another one is obsession with one certain thing or group of things, like trains or televisions. Carson is fascinated with garbage trucks.

He has always liked cars and trucks, but about two years ago, it really narrowed down to garbage trucks, and garbage men. He started pretending all his toys were garbage trucks and he'd make a scene in the grocery store, hanging on to the side of the cart, pretending it was a garbage truck.

One day last year during spring break, he reminded me it was garbage day and was so excited he could help me take the trash out since he wasn't at school. We went out early, left the trash at the street, and he refused to come back in the house. He wanted to wait for the garbage truck so he could meet the garbage man. I told him that wouldn't be for hours and he didn't care. He's too big for me to drag in the house, so I went in and watched him from my office window, assuming he'd give up. He didn't. He waited from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., standing in the same place at the driveway all day, not even coming in to eat or use the restroom.

When the truck finally came, he screamed with delight and yelled out to the garbage man, "Hi, my name is Carson! What's your name?" The guy didn't seem to hear him. Then he yelled, "Hey, can I give you a hug?" The man stopped what he was doing and looked around, like this kid couldn't possibly be talking to him. He said, "Oh, I'm too dirty and you wouldn't want to hug me." Carson shook his head and said, "Yes, I want to give you a hug." He finally gave in and Carson gave him a big hug. I was dumbfounded - he waited all day, for that brief moment to talk to the guy on the back of the truck?

The next week, Carson was back in school. As soon as he got off the bus, he ran to the garbage, still sitting at the street. Again, he waited. This time, it was a different man. He went through the same routine. The man again looked around when Carson asked him his name - like no one ever talks to him when he's doing his job. But he answered his name was Dave. The rest, as they say, is history. Carson and Dave became the best of friends.

Two people who others might not want to hug, others don't even notice or others look down their nose at, accepted each other. Carson has waited almost every Tuesday since then. During the summer, he waits all day with cold water bottles and snacks. He leaves notes, cookies and presents for every holiday.

Dave introduced him to drivers who have routes near our neighborhood. It is not unusual to have two to three trucks parked in front of our house because the guys all know him and they come by to see him. They made a deal that they would honk the horn when they're close so he knows to come outside - they felt terrible he was waiting for hours.

David was moved to another route at the end of 2007, but he still drives his truck by our house every Tuesday afternoon and visits Carson.

This is a very special man who gets home later and probably risks getting in trouble because he deviates from his route and stays late to visit one little boy.

Dave is black, and Carson doesn't care what color of skin he has, what his job is, or anything else.

And Dave doesn't care that Carson is different. Dave carries a card that Carson made for him in his truck. It says, "You're my very best friend."

Some people think it's weird his best friend is a trash man. I wish more people could have friendships like they do.

In telling other friends and neighbors, they have all realized we need to notice and recognize the people around us - who we don't even see or have thankless jobs. They've all started to get to know their trash men and even just say hello or thanks.