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
Rafael´s biography
ResponderEliminarI was born on the fifth, of February, nineteen forty one, in the small village of Lodões, which is part of Vila-Flor, District of Bragança, in the north part of Portugal. In this village, there was not a secondary school. Therefore, I could not study beyond the primary school years.
As soon as I finished primary school, and in spite my age, I had to work on the agriculture. I began to work, when I was twelve years of age. Some agriculture jobs were very heavy for me, as I was only twelve at that time. I did all kinds of jobs in the field. Those jobs for me were always very hard.
I worked like an old peasant or compatriot. To me it was always a hard activity! I always detested it, because I saw no future in the region. However, at that time, not all the poor could choose other jobs. I did it, for ten years, without any decent condition for me and for those who lived there. All small farmers had to work from sunrise to sundown during the full year! At these jobs, nobody had the right to holidays or weekends, it was a life without any quality.
Compatriots were always busy with their rural jobs, in particular the small farmers. When the crop’s harvest time arrived, the value of the products not always cover, the expenses applied to acquire those goods. Therefore, for all the hard work spent, we did not make enough to compensate for the year’s hard work.
Nowadays, all agriculture jobs are much better, but people have to do tasks, which are not very dignifying. That is the reason, why young people leave the field’s work and go to cities, or emigrate to others countries in order to find a better job to earn a better living.
As I could not study, or learn a profession, where I was born, I could not follow what I had preferred. I opted to go to the Navy, and in spite of the military specialty, that was assigned to me, (Portuguese Marines), which were very difficult, I was happy.
However, I got to a reasonably higher rank in comparison to my colleagues in spite of my modest beginnings. Most of them with higher education, who lived in the capital and had, more acquaintances than I, did not reach my rank.
I order to advance with my studies; I had to spend many nights learning everything related to the Navy plus, some other subjects related to general culture. I had to pay for my studies and often had monetary difficulties, but I always managed without any help. I struggled for a better life all on my own!
Today, for my social level, I consider myself with a good pension. I go on to save some money on a regular basis. I prefer not to leave it, to people who do not deserve all my savings that would spend badly the money that I earned. I prefer to have a good account in the bank now, then later, just in case of any monetary necessity. What happened to some people that I knew, in spite of their good incomes for forty years at least, they had to be helped by other people, who they criticized, for saving. They are the social economic paradox!
Nowadays, I am on retiree status; my pension is from the Portuguese Navy, where I served for thirty-four years. When called to do military service, I carried out all my obligations as per detail.
When I was in my village, I told my mother that I did not like to work on the land, because it was a very hard job for me. In the Navy, my work was very difficult, but I had to support some uppers without dignity. I never was a yes-man such as some of my colleagues. I had a lot of setbacks, disgusts and contradictions. However, I had a reason.
I had possibility for hitting a superior rank, but nobody helped me, the most of my comrades, were envious of me because I studied and I had saved. However, I never damaged their reputation. When I saw they did not behave well, I always gave them good advices. Consequently, when a person fights without any support, it is difficult to be winner.
PS: Rafael, não te quero ofender ao redigir esta a tua carta, faço-o porque gosto destas coisas, faz parte dos meus hobbies! Não quero que por causa de o ter feito que seja para usares, no entanto fá-lo se quiseres. Admiro a tua vontade férrea em venceres na vida, admirável! A carta não está perfeita porque não pude fugir a tua intenção no aspecto significativo do conteúdo. Sabes o inglês é muito manhoso é mais fácil para aqueles em que as suas línguas não são semelhantes como a nossa. Razão porque temos tendência para escrevermos a composição da frase como o fazemos em português o que muitas vezes o contrario é que está certo como sabes. Quanto francês, nunca me disse muito porque vejo que vai perdendo o seu status como língua do mundo em prol do inglês claro.
Um abraço!
Leiria