This week I had two speaking engagements in a Lanarkshire school. I was speaking to two Religious Education Classes about the reliability of the Gospels. I had to hire a car to get to the school. The cool thing was that I got to take the car home at night so that I was ready to leave again the next morning for RE class number two. Therefore, I drove into work one day this week. I was sitting on Dundas Road, in a queue for the right hand turn onto Queen street - ready to rev into gear to edge forward when the lights turned green when I had a wee revelation. I have not driven into work since I worked at Calvin Theological Seminary. Here, I either get the bus or ride my bike into work. We don't own a car, and if I did, I wouldn't drive it through Edinburgh morning traffic anyway. So, I was sitting on Dundas Street when I realised that I suddenly felt very disconnected from the city. I missed the bus - even the smelly number 22 (why DO people insist on 'letting everything out' on a crowded bus?!?!)And that is when it struck me: I have become part of the city. Sitting in that car, I felt removed from community - a cast-out, a rebel. I had shut myself off from the rest of the community of Edinburgh that day by simply getting in my car and driving to work on my own. I literally felt like I was in a bubble and.. although I could tell you any day what individualism is, I suddenly FELT it like never before!

There is a rhythm and community to cities. Every day I sit next to a complete stranger on the bus - yet I sit pretty close to that person on the small space allocated for two people. I join a mass of Edinburgh residents making their way to work. Listening to iPods. Reading The Metro. Opening up a new novel. Phoning into work. Catching up with mates about the night before. Gearing themselves up for the work day. This is one of my rhythms as a city dweller, and I like it! Maybe one day we will move to a rural rhythm or small town rhythm - but for now, I intend to live into Edinburgh's rhythm.