Prologue

SYMBOLS OF TIME AND THE ART OF LIVING
Participants and Voyeurs

The meteorologists find it harder and harder to hit the right weather forecast, while the weather is hitting us harder and harder. Winter in April, spring under the cloud of volcanic ash, then rains and rising waters, flooded fields, roads and bridges, rivers under the throat of cities. Then sultriness, heavy breathing, enormously high UV indexes, suspicion about the Sun and summer; and the lightning really reminds a lot of those from the summer of 1999. Objective experts say that the symptoms in the society, politics, economy are no better. Not to mention law or culture.
What is going on? Should we rely on ancient prophets for interpretations, Enoch for example, or St. John Theologian? Or are we facing new hit-products of the profitable industry of fear and claustrophobia? Or was the grandma from the neighborhood right when she said yesterday at the market: ”Come on, son, such a year simply comes. There were plenty of them in the past too. Oh, look how nice these spotty apples are, not sprayed with pesticides”?
However, how we will live, sweetly or bitterly, joyfully or in self-torment, truly or voyeuristically, in our home or in the home of the ”Big Brother of the small town”, still depends on us. Whether we will be lured to the farm and then forced into the pen, or spend part of the summer with our friends in a truly beautiful village, also depends on us. Money is not always the issue.
Many things really depend on the personal art of living, finding joy in small things and recognizing their power.
National Review, curious and positive as usual, takes us to the biggest events this summer (”Exit”, ”Guča”, ”Tamburitzafest” in Deronje). It reveals the perhaps forgotten corners of Serbia (a Banat village made of reed, Crna Trava - the homeland of masons, little known Priboj). It reminds of the old masters who help us survive in the present time (Mika Antić, Branko V. Radičević). It directs our glance and thoughts towards the Serbs in the Diaspora (Staro Nagoricane, Timisoara, Assembly of the Diaspora). It speaks with the supreme ones (Ljubica Mrkalj, Jasna Šekarić).
It takes us, reveals, reminds, directs, speaks.
The rest is up to you. Are you not also part of this story, participants not voyeurs?