I’m sure that when high school seniors get those acceptance letters from Harvard University there are several among them who figure that someone has pulled a practical joke on them. The crest is easy enough to find on the internet and with today’s high-resolution printers, a dummy letter could be slapped together with ease.

Standing dumbfounded at the mailbox and holding the linen-cotton-blend page, you can almost see that seventeen-year-old scholar thinking, “Oh, ha, ha. Very funny, Uncle Jerry.” Even after the student’s parents assure her that the letter is legitimate, there will remain a doubt, which perhaps will only be put aside after the student sits on the top bunk in Canaday Hall or co-signs the student loan paperwork.

On Sunday, I had that same doubtful feeling when I received an email from Arianna Huffington. Yes, that Arianna Huffington.

On a bit of a self-imposed double dare, I sent her a blog post of mine in the hopes she’d read it.

A few days later and on the heels of learning that I was not going to be selected to work with a pitch2publication editor, I got Arianna’s “yes.”

Then, as any reasonable person might do, I promptly doubted whether sophisticated hackers, who get off on duping people like me, had interfered with the communications between Arianna and myself. I could almost picture them: their feet up on a cluttered desk, heads tipped back, the sound of “bwah, ha, ha” coming from their nefarious throats.

But then yesterday afternoon, I got the invitation–as promised by Arianna–to be part of their blogging community. I filled out my profile, uploaded a headshot, and submitted my piece.

I still questioned the reality of it all. Until last night, when my article–which some of you have a familiarity with–went live. On the Huffington Post.

It is with great enthusiasm and humility I share this link with you so you, too, can see that it was not a practical joke:

Click here