If You Come To A Fork In The Road, Take It

Yogi Berra passed on the the great ballpark in the sky this week. That's a sad thing, for he was an entertaining and beautifully ugly little big man. I'm sort of a passive fan of baseball. I enjoy it in the romantic sense like Field of Dreams, Casey at the Bat or that time a gimpy Kirk Gibson rocked one out of the park and did his epic fist pump around the bases. I work a low paying extra job for our local minor league ball team in the summer just to get to hang out at a ballpark. I obviously never saw Yogi play and am not particularly a fan the Yankees, or any team in general. I just enjoy the game and it's characters and legends. Yogi was one of those guys that transcended his sport and became a legend. His "Yogi-isms" are well known. "When you come to fork in the road, take it" is one. Another is "I never said half the things I said". The second one may be true but I'm not going to let the facts ruin a good blog opening. 

I have come to a fork in the road this week. I was cruising into work, late as usual, and had an epiphany. I really don't care for the job I'm doing these days. It doesn't suit my personality and it seems like I'm spinning my wheels most of the time.

It was an odd epiphany that came on all of a sudden. I even surprised myself, because usually I know these things. The wonderful thing about my career is there are many different possibilities for many different abilities and interests so it's not like I'm locked in to something I despise. I can go do something else with a simple request. It's really that easy. 

The problem is that I hate change. I mean I HATE change. The solution to my epiphany is so simple. "Hey, I want to go do this different thing". It's what I need to do without a doubt. There is no downside. My feeble mind just can't make it that easy. I've had to ask opinions from everyone I know. I must run it over in my head again and again. I fret, I worry about the negative possibilities that totally are not going to happen, I doubt my own decisions and needs. I don't know why this is. 

I just finished reading The Tao of Pooh and then consequently Winnie Pooh by A. A. Milne. Granted, The Tao of Pooh isn't some sacred Taoist text but the idea is a good one. Winnie the Pooh just glides through life, following his own path. When something comes up, he just does the correct thing. He doesn't think about it because he has no brain. It always turns out best for him and the others in the Hundred Acre Wood. No fretting, no worrying, he just follows the path set before him. He takes the fork in the road and everything is fine. He knows which path is his because he knows himself. 

I am trying to know myself. It is a process. We haven't talked much until recently but we have started the process of reconciliation. We will be friends again in time, and friendship begets trust. Then I will be like Pooh and take the fork in the road. 

Yogi Berra to career epiphany to Winnie the Pooh? It makes sense in my wacky mind. It's been a long day too, so cut me some slack. 

Yogi once said "it ain't over til it's over". Indeed it is Yogi. Play well in the field of dreams.