scope - Javascript - Incrementing static function variable simulation with closures?

So it seems like there are no function static variables in Javascript. I am trying to increment a variable inside a function, but I do not want to do it like this:

function countMyself() {
    if ( typeof countMyself.counter == 'undefined' ) {
        // It has not... perform the initilization
        countMyself.counter = 0;
    }
}

I would like to do it with the closures, but I am having a really hard time to understand these.

Someone suggested this in another question:

var uniqueID = (function() {
   var id = 0;
   return function() { return id++; };
})();

But all it does when I alert uniqueID, is printing this line: return function() { return id++; };

So I would like to know how to increment a variable in a function without polluting the global scope.

Answer

You must actually call uniqueID - you can't just refer to is as if it were a variable:

> uniqueID
function () { return id++; }


> uniqueID()
0

> uniqueID()
1