My faith is a bit wobbly today, I must admit. I find myself fumbling in the dark. Feeling forsaken, I am yearning for answers. Dear reader, do you really exist?

Addendum I (October 8, 2008)

God the reader was a bit of a joke, but a number of my readers responded nonetheless. One of them referred to “the daily diet of wisdom, sarcasm, euphoria, anger, nostalgia, indignation, microscopy, weltschmerz, idealism, reportage…” with real affection. I was over the moon, it goes without saying. Could I possibly let such a splendid list go unpublished?!

Addendum II (July 21, 2019)

My faith is wobbly again, but it does not even cross my mind to repeat the heartbreaking question. Perish the thought. By now, not a single reader would respond in such a glorious fashion. And the list of traits of my writings in the first addendum is no less than splendid, indeed. It gives me much pleasure to this day. Returning to the notion of “dear reader,” which surely smacks of religion, I have long decided not to invoke it ever again (“Up to You: An Open Letter to My Dear Reader,” May 31, 2016). So far, there has been not a peep from on high, either.