Wanted: Dead or Alive!

The Internet is an amazing place. Today, my name showed up on one of those "Dead or Alive" Web sites. You know the sort –  the type of site you go to when you hear one of The Monkees died but you don't know which one, or after you've watched an old movie on late-night cable and you think "I wonder if she's still alive."

My first thought was, "Wow, someone actually cares if I'm alive!" which was followed by, "Wow, someone noticed I was alive in the first place." So, I clicked on the site out of curiosity. I wanted to make sure I was still alive and kicking. I also wanted to learn the identity of whomever it was who had been so thoughtful as to include me on the list, and to see if I was in good company.

I was a bit disappointed to learn I was not alive. I did breathe a sigh of relief to discover I was tallied in the "Unknown" column and not the "Dead" column. It could have been worse: 77 entries were designated "Not a Person". While some may argue whether I lack personality, my personhood is no longer in doubt. Then, I noticed the site was LibraryThing, and to my chagrin, I pondered whether "Unknown" might be a reference to my status as an author and not to my vitality. I spend too much time on the Internet.