A bit more on the river.

It occurred to me as I ran along the river this morning that people like to proclaim things "dead."

Over the past decade we've heard that television is dead, print is dead, radio, of course, is dead. Didn't Prince recently say the internet is dead?

Not long ago, people used to say the East River was so polluted is was dead.

Saying something is dead increases the sayers importance. He or she is greater or smarter than that which is dead. And is great and smart enough to issue proclamations.

The thing is, it takes a long time for things to die.

And usually the evolve or shape-change rather than simply perish.

The East River isn't a clear, flowing thing of beauty. It's still pretty gnarly.
But people are kayaking in it, and jet ski-ing. And of course there are the Puerto Rican fishermen.

It's not dead.