The Joyous Season

It's around this time of year that one begins to reflect on what's important about the season.

Especially since the economy's gone fer shit, and overblown excesses of recent Christmases past are unlikely to fill one's heart to overflowing with synthetic joy.

We coyotes, of course, have always eschewed the season's cheesier aspects. Not for us the fake trees, questionable mall muzak, greed or expensive electronic gimcrackery. It was never really likely, but now the tenor of the times makes it even more improbable that we'd need to agonize about how to cram 80-inch HDTV screens into our 75-inch wide burrows, on the principle that it would be insensitive to return such a caring gift on Boxing Day... I digress. Habitually.

So we coyotes wish to state that what we do wholeheartedly stand for are the important things that should fill one's life all year round. Doing interesting things that don't involve a lot of money. Tolerance, respect and acceptance for one's fellow creatures. And dwarfs. Connecting with family and friends. Phone calls, cards and letters to the important ones that aren't near. Because Facebook and Twitter so do not count. Or regularly sharing meals and hoisting hot or cold beverages and yakking late into the night with the ones that are. Laughing. Engaging. Living.

Now, excuse me. It's time to set the self timer on the ol' camera and snap my annual Christmas card portrait. And given the grim tenor of the times, it's important to get it exactly right...