Not much surprises me. I’m a Jersey girl, born and bred. No one has to convince me the Paterson Waterfalls should be a National Landmark and “How you doin?” rolls off my tongue naturally. I did witness something recently though that literally stopped me in my tracks.

My normal driving route to the gym takes me along a strip of the Passaic River in the pre-dawn hours. The mist was heavy over the murky waters this chilly morning and I noticed movement through the fog. I slowed my car and watched a figure take shape. First, the reflective vest outlined a silhouette, then a vessel came into view. A lone canoeist gliding across the water in the pre-dawn hours is not commonplace by any stretch of the imagination. I pulled to the side of the road and watched.