Life in two eras, the old and the new, captured in a single moment. I experienced this more than once in Ethiopia.

A woman walks the ancient streets of Harar, carrying her bundle on her head, with a modern water bottle tucked under her arm.

More jarringly, the young woman at the Hamar bull jumping ceremony, her whip marks bleeding on her back from a traditional ritual, while her cell phone hangs on a strap around her head.

In these ancient places and cultures, the juxtaposition is striking.

I wonder if it feels comfortable to them. Or if they struggle and fight within themselves or with each other. Like we often do.

It occurred to me that each generation experiences the same thing. Often in much subtler ways, of course. But the push and pull of tradition vs. advancement is universal, something we can all relate to if we stop and think about it.