IDENTITY FORGED IN THE FIELD: PLOWING THE LANDS OF MY MEMORY

arando as terras da minha memória

Abstract

This is an autoethnographic text in which I describe my experiences and memories of the rural area where I was born and raised with my nuclear (single-parent) family and my maternal grandparents. It aims to evoke knowledge and understanding that has been dormant in my memory, connecting it to the rural, cultural, and social context I experienced, and to critically reflect on reality and social systems. I believe that being raised on the farm, alongside my grandparents and other residents, defined me as a person, grounded my values, and served as a compass for the directions I should follow and the decisions I should make throughout my life, thus forging my identity. The writing is charged with emotions and personal memories from childhood and adolescence, which give each entry a subjective and emotional tone. Remembering and writing about my experiences brought to light situations of pain and joy that, when plowed and stirred by my memory, promoted seeds of healing and shared perceptions and feelings that can shine in the memories and feelings of other people so that, in a certain way, they identify with and feel contemplated by the strategies for overcoming and coping with what they experienced.