Yesterday morning I drove to a retreat center in Pikesville, MD (just west of the beltway around Baltimore), and I'll be here for the next nine days. It's the second "residency" of the two-year program on Spiritual Direction with the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. (www.shalem.org)

I was awfully glad to get here! I'm talking about the drive!! Beginning at Fredericksburg, intensifying through the D.C. area, at is WORST on the beltway around Baltimore -- the TRAFFIC! Yikes!!

And to think I used to be used to this stuff, living in the urban northeast! I haven't been in this traffic for several years. To visit family, I've driven south. To do Synod work, I've driven west. Patty and I have visited NYC twice, but once was by train and the other time by plane. Thus my feeling yesterday morning: Yikes!!

Who has complained about the growth and the traffic in Williamsburg? (May I see a show of hands, please? Is there anyone who hasn't complained about this?) Lemme tell you: just drive north for a few hours. You'll realize that, with all the growth, Williamsburg is still a sleepy little town!