While it is true that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, and while it may seem that we have been wandering off the beaten path during some of our recent visits together, I feel certain that if we take a moment to do a brief recap of our journey together so far, we will find that we have been traveling along a remarkably straight road.  In fact, we should be able to see an orderly, even progressive, pattern starting to develop—almost as if someone had planned it that way!  I wish I could take credit for it but, in spite of the fact that I…