A Siege of Cranes

A flock of cranes is called a siege.

Cranes are beautiful, legendary, ancient birds that represent good fortune, longevity, peace and fidelity, and do so with elegance and grace.

A siege is also “a military operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building, cutting off essential supplies, with the aim of compelling the surrender of those inside.” 

And as I look out over Sarasota from my balcony, I see the city is being taken over by a siege of a different kind of crane...construction cranes...seven, as far as I can see, within a twenty block area.

It does look like a “military operation” and it does feel like “the enemy”. I mean, who are these developers, really? And are they only building more multi-million dollar condos that will be purchased by a select few who spend most of their time living in other places, leaving their new investments empty and dark for the most part?

Supplies will be interfered with, utilities will be overshared, and the long standing residents of what was once a quiet fishing village will continue to find themselves surrendering to a metropolis they can no longer afford...or recognize...or enjoy.

“Development” isn’t always literally development. Sometimes it’s just stuff filling up spaces which were already purposeful and beautiful in their original state. 

“Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.”

– Edward Abbey