How to be Yourself

Racing thoughts kept Soko, the raccoon, wide awake.

“You’re a scavenger! A sneaky thief!”

Soko did not like their own intrusive thoughts. They were memories of what animals had described raccoons to be.

“You’re a trickster, clever, but you use your wits to steal!”

Soko brought themselves to think about encouraging descriptions. After all, Soko traveled a lot around the world and met many animals. This allowed Soko to hear about different representations of raccoons.

“You bring good luck and prosperity! When I think of you, I often think about you holding nihonshu in your left hand and accounts book in the right hand.”

That description was a lot more pleasant.

Yet, Soko’s favorite was, “You’re a curious, clever animal. This makes you great at solving problems.”

Soko finally felt more at ease, yet they were confused. How is it that so many animals have different images of raccoons?

At first, Soko thought it was because these animals were from different places. However, that could not be the only reason, because even in the same place, animals held different images.

Soko also noticed that depending on the preconception, meant different interactions with animals. That included their circle of family and friends.

Getting over biases is difficult, especially those held in your unconscious. Soko was no foreigner to biases. Yet, meeting animals with different values and beliefs grew Soko’s empathy and awareness.

In order not to upset any animal, Soko masked themselves to blend in. The better the mask, the better they got along with others, as long as Soko did not feel tired of the mask. Fortunately, they were naturally great at wearing a mask.

Yet, they asked themselves, “if I wear a mask, how can I be myself? How can I become more authentic while keeping the peace with others? Do others face the same problem?”

They found no answers. Thus, Soko sought help from their friends and send them a message. They were busy animals, so Soko was thrilled when he heard that all agreed to meet up at night.