This is Fruitycake. I had no idea that I would be told to stop barking so much in my life. When I was living on the streets and roaming around, I didn’t have anyone telling me what to do.

I had to bark. I had to be strong. I had to be smart. I had to bark at other dogs before they could bark at me.

Now, when I bark at other dogs at these campground places, I am told not to. Something about quiet hours. Something about disturbing the peace.

Girl Person says that others are avoiding us because of my barking. Boy Person says I need to burn off some energy. Brickle just tells me to stop it.

Well. My name is Fruitycake. I am sweet. But I can also be tough like Juicy Fruit.

I can be tart like a grapefruit.

I can be all of these things. But I would rather be sweet. I would rather not have to worry about being tough. I’m just having a hard time remembering I am safe now.

Brickle tells me sometimes that persons pretend to be tough to. They pretend to have everything figured out. That surprises me. Because I thought they did have it all figured out. Brickle says no one does. We all bark for no reason.

I wonder if everyone was just nice and patient if there would still be so much barking. Can’t we all just be nice? Can’t we all give others the chance to be comfortable where they are?

Can’t we all stop fighting to win a race that goes nowhere?

Juicy Fruit and grapefruit or sweet Fruitycake? It’s up to me. I’ll try to start letting my guard down. And I’ll give others a chance to be nice. But I have to be nice first. So do you.

–Fruitycake The Raccoon