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Bird’s Eye View


 

I have recently become fascinated by overhead views. Here’s one that shows the new East Columbia 50+ Center in progress. 

Construction is progressing on the new 50+ Center in East Columbia

When drone photography came onto the scene it seemed rather like a party trick to me. “Look! I can go way up high!”  - - it seems to be say.

But over time I have realized how much I value being able to see how a place fits into its larger location: context, if you will. What I like best about the 50+ Center video is seeing the overall shape of building in relationship to the library building, and also how both buildings are flanked by the apartment community next door. In less than one minute I had a more comprehensive understanding of that location than I had ever had after living here over 20 years.

I have become a fan of the bird’s eye view. 

How do places relate to one another? How are they situated in relationship to one another? I find myself more interested in those questions than in individual buildings or plots of land. After enjoying two different tours of Elkridge, from friends who live there, I found myself craving overhead views that would help me understand how all the places we had visited were set into the area and how they were (or weren’t) related.

Of course I’m not expecting hours of drone footage. But I’d love a comprehensive and detailed map of Elkridge to help me reinforce the mental connections I made while driving around with friends.

If envisioning these sorts of things is easy for you, I suppose my recent fascination won’t make a lot of sense. In a way it’s seems as though I have rather belatedly discovered “maps and why they are useful.” But it’s more than that. Until recently I would have said that maps were for helping you make your way from Point A to Point B. That’s it.

Now I want to understand how Point A and Point B fit into a bigger picture. 

A knowledgable lifelong resident of Columbia once explained to me about how the New Amercian City was laid out purposefully to encourage the joy of discovery. As someone who has traditionally been map-challenged - - and who gets lost frequently - -  I did not find this as appealing as I might have. 

At long last I think I may have found a way to enjoy those adventures of discovery: from above. 

This post isn’t meant to be solely about drone photography or about maps. It’s also about learning. What a thrill it is to encounter something new that you want to immerse yourself in and learn more about. The desire and ability to learn shouldn’t be shut down or set aside once our school years are over. Overall, that’s the true “joy of discovery” that can provide adventures throughout our lifetimes.

How about you? What are your recent fascinations? Hobbies? Special interests? I’m interested.

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