Testical Festival: A Summer Tradition

The facts.:

What: Testical Festival
Where: Olean (pronounced "Oh-Lee-Anne"), Missouri
When: Saturday, June 6


Catch phrases for the festival that didn't make the cut:

"Testical Festival: A great place to hang."
"Testical Festival: You'd be nuts to miss it."
"Great deals, by the sack."
"Buy one, get one free."

(Your turn)

"Good luck on your project"

I have a particular interest in customer service, both in government work 

(where I've spent the last decade)  and retail (see recent post on my Best Buy experience).

A Menards Home Improvement store just opened in Columbia, and I hadn't been yet.  I was initially frustrated that I couldn't search specific products on their website (Home Depot is the online winner), but I thought I'd give it a shot anyway.  At least I'd be able to say "yes" when asked by my home improvement friends about the new store.

Menards is impressive.  It's big, varied, and at least for now the prices seems to be better than HD and Lowes.  I picked up a couple screen doors for our patios and a light fixture.

Here's the money shot:  On the way out, an employee asked me if I'd found everything I needed (typical - no big deal).  I said yeah, and then kept walking, as did he.  But his parting words to me were, "Good luck on your project today!"

For some reason it really touched me.  I felt a connection to this guy (though I can't even remember his face) and to Menards.  I'm not exactly "handy," so to get encouragement - especially someone who I assume is pretty good at this stuff - felt great.

It's weird the things that make a difference.  I installed the screen doors, and I'd like to think that the "Luck of Menards" might have played a part.   I'm amazed how much I clamor for encouraging words, and for relational connections, no matter how small.  Even at the hardware store.

Hmmm... I wrote "Even at the hardware store" as if it's a less likely relationship destination tha home, church, or with friends.  But maybe if I open myself up to embracing connections everywhere, and enjoy them as they happen, it will help me engage in even longer-lasting, deeper relationships as well.

Even with the people I love most.

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

This Yogi Berra quote was recently referenced in a sermon I attended.  The pastor-type dismissed the quote as bumbling, idiotic, and simply incorrect.  There is a right way and a wrong way to go, and simply "taking it" was not an option.

I was bothered by the closed-minded interpretation, and I felt it was made more out of convenience than honoring the art. It fit the next sermon's next bullet point (thought I forget what it was...I think it started with a "W"), but it came off as lazy.

I've long been a fan of the wisdom of Yogi Berra, including this quote.  To me it is an encouragement of proactivity.  There are a number of things I can do when approaching a proverbial fork in the road:

• Freak out that there is a fork in the road
  
• Over-analyze the situation
  
• Freeze
• Assume there is one right and one wrong choice
• Turn around and head back where I came from
  
• Pick one and go
  

I think Yogi was telling us that when we come to a decision point, big or small, his suggested course of action is to choose a path and take action along that path.  It might be imperfect, painful, and even plain wrong when viewed with hindsight - but it will be movement.  And it's this movement that teaches and grows us.  Another modern poet, Jason Mraz, recently wrote, "I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some."

I think my reaction to its use as a sermon illustration was frustration, because my opinion of the quote was so different.  But is my attitude any different?  Am I just doing the same thing I'm accusing?  Stubbornly defending my personal opinion?

Hmmm.  Not sure, and not awake enough to figure it out.  I'll post for now and sort out the rest later.