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.