Niède Guidon fell silent a week ago. In the end, she chose the hot, dry ground of the semi-arid backlands for her eternal rest.
When the Ceará press published false news that the Piauí–Ceará border dispute had been settled in Ceará’s favor, several people from Piauí posted that it was a wise and fair decision, that the Piauí government is useless and that the land should indeed belong to Ceará. Such ignorance reveals not only a lack of love for one’s birthplace but also a complete lack of knowledge of the facts and the history — a sign of low self-esteem and a lack of identity.
Even in death, Prof. Niède offers a remarkable statement of belonging: she chose to remain forever in the land that gave her fame and knowledge. All of this is love — something some uneducated, defeatist people from Piauí sorely lack. Rest well, Niède; you will be forever carved in the stone of good example.
