Reader Poll Confessions

There is no fiction that will truly fit the situation.
I'm documenting every detail, every conversation.
I'm not used to talking to somebody in a body,
somebody in a body... u2, "Xanax and Wine."

I have a confession to make. If you took part in my reader poll-- especially if you sent a comment--you fell for an Internet scam.

You know about Internet scams. There's that sweet widow in Africa whose husband left her millions--she only needs you to send your bank account number so she can deposit the money in the U.S. (and she'll give you half for your kindness). You've won the lottery in the U.K.--just send your Social Security number to claim the prize. Offers to lose weight, grow hair, increase the size of parts of your anatomy that are implied to be lacking, or clean out your colon (that one is just plain disturbing). All you need to do to change your life is send in your social security or credit card number.

My scam wasn't designed to get your money. It was to identify you.

My blog software tells me how many people read each piece and where they are located. But it doesn't reveal their identity. Some of my regular readers, mostly bloggers themselves, often comment on what I've written. But the vast majority are anonymous. They are represented by a dot on a map.

Thanks to the scam, I now know a lot more. I know who is reading in Mississippi, Arizona, and Virgina. I know about some old friends who take the time to read my thoughts, as well as some relatives I've lost touch with over the years. I can put faces and names with the dots. I still don't know who is reading me in Iran, or for that matter why, but I know a lot more than I did.

I also found that there are a lot of people who are really kind and considerate when it comes to my writing. And I thank you--for your reading, and for all the nice things you had to say.

The truth is I write what I like to write and I hope a few people will like to read it. I doubt there would be a much I could do about it if you didn't.

I write because I like to write--it's about that simple. It's something I hope to get better at as time goes by.

And like you, I read what I like to read, and there's a lot of diversity with my habits too. I read blogs written by missionaries in Honduras, lady chicken farmers in north Alabama, and former U.S citizens who live in Mexico (and some who want to live there someday), as well as people who like to cook, ride motorcycles, or analyze politics. Some of it good writing and some of it is not especially well-written. But I read them because they interest me. I suspect you are the same way. After all, Hemingway was a genius, but Mad Magazine is good sometimes too.

As always, thanks for the reading. Hope to "see" you again real soon.