Ho! Ho! Ho!

I had the totally random urge to see an image of Jack Skellington looking cheerful in his Santa disguise, and why would I keep something like that to myself?

To be honest, this isn't my favorite time of year. While I do like the season, and hearing bells echo through downtown is pleasurable -I don't even mind carolers, because when else do folks with (sometimes) decent singing voices get to gather in public and be so freaking joyful in song? -but celebrating the harvest is where my heart truly comes alive. That magical transition from Aestival is the peak of the year, until the ground solidifies and skies weep. Yuletide arrives just at the cusp of the dark months, and though I'm not prone to being other than my ordinary mopey self, neither am I prone to giddiness when lavished with gifts from family and friends. I feel guilty receiving presents. There, I said it. Receiving presents is inevitably accompanied by feelings of guilt. Why this is I leave to the head shrinkers, but the effect is a curtailment of joy in what others truly enjoy and take pleasure from, both the receiving and giving of gifts.

Perhaps this is why the image of Jack resonates with me. I laugh along with my loved ones, but feel in doing so that I'm a skeleton in disguise.