Ethiopia: It's a Small World After All
One of the books I'm reading right now is The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman. He talks about globalization and the death of distance. There is no question that technology has shrunk the world.
I'm amazed at how small the world is for some Ethiopians. I remember reading that during the time when Jesus was alive, the average person never traveled outside a thirty-five mile radius of their home. Their world was tiny--about thirty-five miles wide. I think that is true of most Ethiopians. They live where they were born. The "guard" who watches over the guest house where we're staying is a great example. He rarely leaves the "compound." And he lives in a little "room" by the gate that is not more than four feet by four feet. His job is very simple. He opens and closes the gate. In exchange, he gets a place to stay. I couldn't help but think about how small his world is and how big my world is. Here I am 4497 miles from home and most Ethiopians will never travel a hundred miles from home.
Of course, globalization is effecting them in many ways. One of the funny contrasts is that there were tiny "shops" that are nothing more than for metal boards that form a "lean-to." But some of them have computers and email access. It's such a wild contrast. Sheep and donkeys walking the street like they would have hundreds of years ago. But small computer kiosks. What a world we live in!
I'm amazed at how small the world is for some Ethiopians. I remember reading that during the time when Jesus was alive, the average person never traveled outside a thirty-five mile radius of their home. Their world was tiny--about thirty-five miles wide. I think that is true of most Ethiopians. They live where they were born. The "guard" who watches over the guest house where we're staying is a great example. He rarely leaves the "compound." And he lives in a little "room" by the gate that is not more than four feet by four feet. His job is very simple. He opens and closes the gate. In exchange, he gets a place to stay. I couldn't help but think about how small his world is and how big my world is. Here I am 4497 miles from home and most Ethiopians will never travel a hundred miles from home.
Of course, globalization is effecting them in many ways. One of the funny contrasts is that there were tiny "shops" that are nothing more than for metal boards that form a "lean-to." But some of them have computers and email access. It's such a wild contrast. Sheep and donkeys walking the street like they would have hundreds of years ago. But small computer kiosks. What a world we live in!
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