Hold On to Those Quills

From the Prairie Tarot, the Jackalope; from the Medicine Cards, "Porcupine:"

          Part jackrabbit, part antelope, this card is a version of the "Happy Squirrel." Ator writes, "A creature rarely seen, this jackrabbit wearing an antelope's horns embodies the fantastic, the unexpected, the surprising…." The last time I drew this card (over 3 years ago), I was taking life way too seriously and not laughing nearly enough. And now he's shown up again, giving me the same look my cat does when I don't want to get out of bed at 5 a.m. to dish up breakfast. Okay, okay... let me get my morning cup of coffee and I'll try to manage a smile.
          Porcupine, though loaded with barbs, is normally a gentle, non-aggressive creature. Only if threatened will it release its quills as a weapon. But what happens if I'm feeling prickly, as if I'm walking around with no skin on? I won't make any charitable assumptions about anything said to me; instead I'll be shouting "Man the torpedoes and prepare to fire!" Porcupine combined with Jackalope reminds me that humor can often be a much better response. And there's no mess to clean up later.