I was born at fifth February nineteen forty one, in Lodões, in this little village, which belong to Vila-Flor, District of Bragança, which is on the north of Portugal. . In this village, there wasn’t secondary school. I couldn’t study more than primary studies.
As soon as I finished primary school, I must had to work on the agriculture, in spite my age. I began to work, when I was twelve years old only. Some jobs on the agriculture were very much heavy for me, who was very much young, I did all jobs on the field. Which were always very much difficulties for me.
I worked like an old peasant or countryman, to me it was always a hard activity! What I always detested it, because I saw no future in the region. But that time, all poor people couldn’t choose other job. I must do it, during ten years, without any conditions for living there. All little farmers must had to work since sunrise to sundown during the year! At these jobs, nobody had right to holidays or week-ends, It was a life without any quality.
Countrymen are always busies with their rural jobs, particularly the little farmers. When it arrived the time of harvests or crops all products didn’t make up for (compensar). After an year of the very much work.
Nowadays, all agricultura works are better, but they go on to be the tasks which is not dignified. It´s a reason, because young people leave the field and go to cities or emigrate to others countries in order to find a good job and earning better salary .
How I couldn’t go on studies, nor learned no profession. I couldn’t follow what I preferred; I must have to opt to go on in the War Navy. In spite to my military speciality very much difficult to me ((Portuguese marine).
However I got a reasonable rank in relation my beginnings. The most part of many my colleagues, with more studies, which lived in at Capital and who had more acquaintances than me but they didn’t reach my rank.
I must had study and to lose many nights in order to learn more any thing about de Navy and cultural things too. I had to pay for studying and sometimes I passed many difficulties, but I always managed me without any help. I struggled for my better life alone!
Today, I consider that, I have a good pension, for my social level. I go on save some money. I prefer to leave it, to people who don’t deserve all my economies, than I spend badly my money, which I earned. I prefer to leave a good count in the bank, leftover than later, I have necessity. What did some people, that I Knew, in spite of they have had good incomes for forty years at least. After they had to be helped for other people, who they criticized, who were saved. They are the economic paradox!
Nowadays, I am retired; my pension is of the War Navy, where I worked for thirty four years. I carried out all my obligations. When I was called to do military service.
When I was in my village I said to my mother, I wouldn’t become to work on at land. Because there was hard job to me. In the War Navy, the job for me, there was very much difficult, but I must support some uppers without dignity. Inever was a yess -man like some of my colleagues. I had many sorrows (desgostos) and contradictions, however I had reason.
I had possibility for hitting a superior rank, but nobody helped me, the most part of my comrades, they had envy ( inveja), because I studied and I was saved. But I never damaged them and I always gave them good advices, when I saw, they didn’t behave well. But when a person fight without any support, it’s difficult to be winner