We knew - but didn't want to know - what was going to happen, the sky descending upon our heads like the shadow of a falling piano in a cartoon.
Aleksandar HemonRead
My country's main exports are stolen cars and sadness.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote illustrates a critique of societal and national issues, highlighting the darker elements of a country’s identity.
Aleksandar Hemon's quote captures a poignant commentary on the socio-economic struggles of his homeland. By juxtaposing 'stolen cars' with 'sadness,' he implies that the nation's most significant exports are not merely material goods but also the deep emotional and social trauma experienced by its people. This encapsulates a broader reflection on the consequences of crime and despair that define the experience of living in such an environment.
Themes
ExportsSadnessCarsCrimeIdentity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech on national identity, one could reference this quote to discuss how societal issues shape a country’s image.
More from Aleksandar Hemon
All quotes →I have two homes, like someone who leaves their hometown and/or parents and then establishes a life elsewhere. They might say that they're going home when they return to see old friends or parents, but then they go home as well when they go to where they live now. Sarajevo is home, Chicago is home.
Aleksandar HemonRead
I do have a sense of displacement as constant instability — the uninterrupted existence of everything that I love and care about is not guaranteed at all. I wait for catastrophes.
Aleksandar HemonRead
Home is where somebody notices when you are no longer there.
Aleksandar HemonRead
I loved you because there was no other place for me to go. We were married because we did not know what else to do with each other. You never knew me, nothing about me, what died inside me, what lived invisibly.
Aleksandar HemonRead
All the lives I could live, all the people I will never know, never will be, they are everywhere. That is all that the world is.
Aleksandar HemonRead
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