While st@tus overrides AUTHENTICITY the 3ng@gement corrupts what is REAL the f1lt3r eclipses BEAUTY and h@te replaces SOCIABILITY The soul that craves the NATURAL starved for LIFE yearning for PRESENCE yet struggling with the d¡g¡t@l. For a less digital and Truly SOCIAL world ✊🏾

I entered the hetero-identification room with trepidation. I had spent the months leading up to this moment talking to everyone I could: political activists, legal professionals, even a sociologist and an anthropologist. I needed help to pass the civil service exam and was willing to claim a right, yet I feared committing an injustice. Ahead of me, three people would evaluate my declaration: a white woman with a serene, compassionate gaze and a sweet, almost maternal way of speaking; a middle-aged man with brown skin (similar to mine) and a characteristic Black phenotype; and a younger woman with equally striking Black features. They were assisted by a young woman who greeted and guided me, a young man filming everything, and a third person recording the minutes. They all stared at me throughout the process. ...

It is difficult to explain why I cannot accomplish certain things under the emotional roller-coaster of depression. It is common to receive criticism like “how did you lose that opportunity?!” or empty motivational advice such as “just push yourself and you’ll do it”. There is no point in explaining. The truth is that most people do not know how to deal with emotions—not their own, and certainly not other people’s. All they want is to end the conversation. ...

No, it wasn’t just a single time That was merely the final one Of all the attempts in his climb Gravity proved strictly done On his skin, the heat he wished to feel And Victory to him wished to show That if an altar to oneself one would reveal Many others could be inspired to grow He didn’t give up, launched forth, insisted On a journey that seemed selfish to the eye ...

The soul lies And the mind cries For the soul hurts so deep Until the mind lies That the soul defies The mind to keep.

My history with the Order of DeMolay began many years ago, when I was still a high school student at Dom Bosco College in Petrolina. On that occasion, I was invited to attend a lecture where young men, in the same age group, explained the purpose of the Order and concluded by inviting us to the selection process. I was enchanted and accepted! It is not for nothing: a worldwide fraternity of good young men, lads, which aims to form good men and good leaders. How could I refuse? ...

So I arrived there, at that temple whose floor was packed dirt, the seats were old school chairs, and the ceiling was the starry sky — certainly, there are no paintings or stained glass in the World that surpass that setting. My “beginning” of the Christian walk happened there, at the Tabuleiro Church; a remote neighborhood, unassisted and full of stories of violence. The pastor, a short potbellied man with a striking mustache and an out-of-tune voice, in whose resume he liked to emphasize the experience of having been a shepherd of real sheep. ...

I recently attended a meeting where men dedicated to promoting the general welfare were advising their president, whose head hung heavy, weighed down by various important issues. Although it was a special moment, one of these counselors caught my attention with his relaxed and free-spirited perspective on the various problems presented. Later, while many dedicated themselves to wine and gluttony, I continued to observe my hosts. — Will you not partake of the meat, my brother? — the counselor interjected. ...

Upon returning to Sobradinho, I found, of course, a different place, and it seemed to be for the worse. So, I immediately did what many of us do when we are dissatisfied with something: I complained, and a lot! But, if we are honest, we will see that many of the complaints we make are not directed at anyone or even at people who can do anything about them. I’ll say more: if we are honest, we will see that often we don’t even know why we complain so much. The worst part is that we always place the blame, or the responsibility, on other people, be they politicians, businessmen, corporations, etc. ...

Hello, everyone! How are you doing? I want to share a small experience with you, one of those not-so-rare moments of childhood wisdom. Today my 5-year-old son couldn’t go to school because he was feeling a bit under the weather. Nothing serious, he just woke up with a stuffy nose, so we decided to let him rest. We were saying our goodbyes as I was leaving for work. The news was on TV, I sat down and pulled him onto my lap for a cuddle and a few minutes of negotiation: ...