Existential Conundrum

I was approached by an old friend with a request to sign a document for him. I was taken aback to find that the document was headed 'Certificate of Existence'.

It turned out that he is in receipt of certain benefits from a trust and that audit requirements sensibly require annual corroboration of his continued presence in the land of the living.

So I signed it, but for some time I was plagued with memories of late-night undergraduate debates about whether we truly existed and suchlike philosphical detritus.

My friend has one advantage over me now: although I am pretty sure that I exist, he has a certificate signed by a JP to prove that he does.