A Plea to those who read in the Shadows.

Annually, I go into my riff about wondering who's out there, reading this.

Everybody has got that innate curiosity. At least, I hope so. I'm firmly convinced that the death of active curiosity will be the death of our civilization; when we're done exploring outside, we explore inside, and when we're done with that, we can explore how the exploration of inside effects the outside, and vice versa and so on and that should keep us going as long as this sentence keeps going.

Breathe, and continue.

Today, I find myself curious about who's reading all my run on sentences, dangling participles, hanging chads, and opinionated musings on the world within and without my head.

Case in point: "Without my head?"

Sitemeter tells me that I have readers in a few places; some I recognize. Others, I suspect. Some just stump me.

And I know that the person that looked in from Washington State was simply looking for a Bill Murray quote I used ("Everybody get out of here, there's a LOBSTER loose!", and another from Ontario Province was looking at the stuff I wrote about great Canadian Folkie Stan Rogers, but I want to know who the rest of you are.

So, let's do it this way: Just leave me a little comment, right here, right now. Tell me how you are. Tell me why you read. Tell me how to make a really good Cannoli filling. Tell me about the last good book you read. Tell me about something you care about. Just leave me a little bread crumb.

I'm not a stalker. I'm not going to hunt you down. And if you're reading along because you used to know me, or currently know me, or want to know me, just say....hi.

I'll start.

I'm saying hello, from here, to Kizz, Zelda, Gert, Don, Puddinhead, and Reg. Constant readers. Fine companions. Good friends. These people, you want around a dinner table; especially if you want to make the dinner last into the wee small hours, and walk away laughing.

Who else?