Arrow Paradox

 

When an arrow leaves the string in a forward direction, it flexes side to side. In slow motion, it almost appears as if the arrow is snaking its way towards the target. This is called the "archer's paradox."

As stated by Wikipedia: it is the "phenomenon of an arrow traveling in the direction it is pointed at full draw, when it seems that the arrow would have to pass through the starting position it was in before being drawn, where it was pointed to the side of the target."

Some bow makers have even gone to the extent to modify the riser of the bow to have a window directly in line with the arrow so as to limit, if not eliminate this paradox. 

Keep in mind, one aspect of this paradox is the flexing of the arrow's shaft. This, no matter the style of bow (excluding air bows) will still result in some flexing. The softer the shaft (the spine) and the greater the poundage of the bow, the greater that flexing will be. 

Yet for millennia, archer's have compensated. Regardless of the existence of the paradox, archer's have perfected their skills to compensate for this mysterious factor. 

Recently, as I prepare for opening day of archery season, I was studying arrow building and a YouTuber coined a phrase that intrigued me - impact paradox. 

To paraphrase, his theory is that an arrow traveling at speed will, upon impact with a target medium, flex much in the same way as when it released from the string due to the force exerted upon impact and the energy dissipated through the remainder of the arrow, reducing the effective penetration of said arrow.

My whole life I have been raised with the belief that we are born with purpose. Like an arrow fired from a bow we are on a journey to a target, a target we may not know or see, but are propelled toward nonetheless. The force of our sending may seem great or insignificant, but much of that may be effected by our character, our "spine" as it were.

Some of us are made of firmer stuff. Some have been honed and sharpened to be the best we can, much like Olympic athletes. The challenge is that unlike those who aspire to win precious metals, many of us are just trying to get there - wherever there is.

The idea of impact paradox is fascinating because unlike the archer's paradox, it has less to do with flight and more to due with the results of being sent. In life, we can practice to be precise, for our aim to be as true as we can make it. But ultimately is it not about how we are propelled so much as how, and where, we hit the target. 

In hunting, vitals are the only suitable target to aim for. Ethical hunting requires hunters to be precise and effective, hitting those points that result in the quickest and pain-less expiration as possible. If the arrow flies true, irrespective of the paradox, and hits its mark but suffers energy dissipation, the result may be a wounded and suffering animal. One never able to be harvested. 

So the build of the arrow then becomes crucial. And this is where understanding both paradoxes are important. There are several sections in arrow building that become essential: points, nocks, inserts, shaft, and fletching. And of those sections weight, length, quantity, form, installation all can impact the performance. No longer should it be acceptable to simply buy a set of pre-made arrows and points and shoot until you are "tuned" to the bow and able to hit your mark. Now it is about tuning the arrow, then skill. 

We can't always decide our destination. But we can hone our effectiveness to do what we need to do when we get there. In another post I talked about the Secret of Three. Where these cross is the build of the arrow. The point, the shaft, and the fletchings. Consider a moment the point is hope, the faith is faith and the fletchings are love. When our hope is strong, weighty and to the point, faith becomes integral, riding that sharpened tip towards its objective. With love, love of life, family, friends, God, the arrow stays on course, propelled to hit the mark. Hope is that thing that makes all the difference. Our faith may flex as we chase our mark. And love helps keep us on track. But without that sharp point, heavy with hope, we may just bounce right off the target.

You can have the strongest, stiffest faith and perfectly aligned and shaped love, but without the point, there's not much to be had. Hope isn't the thing that should drive us, it's the thing that should enable us to land our target. 

This is no different in hunting. My hope isn't that the bullet or arrow makes its way to the deer's vitals, it's that once it's there, it is severe and complete in its delivery. The impact paradox suggests that the target can affect the effectiveness of the arrow (or even bullet). A shoulder blade, a rib, or just heavy muscle can alter the impact. But weight your hope. Faith is good. Love necessary. But hope, that's the thing that drives everything home. With a proper build, there's no chasing the trophy - it's assured. 

Now I could get philosophical about all of this. But the importance should be evident. Life messes with our aim. That's where skill comes in. Our environment and circumstances (think rain and branches) can seem like hard obstacles to overcome. But it's been said - run the race to win, doing everything you can to ensure you finish the race. This is arrow building. Shooting for hours and hours to develop reflexes keeps you ready for the hunt. But having done everything, including the right arrow, will determine if you take the deer or wander through the thick looking for blood trails.  

The Secret of Three

 The holidays are upon us and for many that means time in the woods searching for a proper harvest of venison. I am no exception to this. For the past several years I have had the opportunity to participate in state park reduction hunts either at the early end or late end of our rifle season. I've done it all from ground sitting, stalking, and using a climber to get a better view and hopefully opportunities. 

Every year has been a bust. Not to be dissuaded, I took to the wonder of another state park again this year. And this time around it was a day of firsts: first harvest on a reduction hunt, first deer taken with a new rifle (350 Legend Savage Axis), and first deer taken using a tree saddle. Three firsts!

As this is the time of Thanksgiving, I am exceptionally grateful for these. Yet on the heels of this incredible hunt my family was assailed by difficult news. My wife, who has had several mysterious health issues over the last few years received an unwelcome and potentially devastating diagnosis. By all rights this should give us reason to fret, to fear, and to be consumed by the "what ifs" that often plague these  determinations. 

Hope can be a fragile thing. But there's an interesting thing about hope. There is a proverb that says "a strand of three cords is not easily broken." Years ago I set out to investigate the relationship between hope, faith, and love. Let me be clear - I'm not talking romantic love, nor am I talking wispy faith in the form of wishful thinking. I speak of concrete, though intangible, terms. 

These three are tied together, inextricably so. Like an archer with a bow and arrow. The arrow cannot fly without the bow and the bow cannot shoot without the archer. Hope is the arrow, faith is the bow, and love is the archer. No, forget that silly cartoon image of cupid with puffy little cheeks floating on a cloud. Think instead the warrior whose aim determines the prize, the reward, the trophy, the harvest. Hope is propelled by faith. Faith gets its focus from the archer and the archer determines the target. 

This is the secret of three. 

No bow and an arrow is nothing more than a spindly stick. No arrow and the bow is just a stick taught with string. No archer and the two others, filled with potential, will sit idly for all time.

I could take this further - the arrow is point, shaft and fletchings. The bow is limbs, riser and string. The archer is mind, body and spirit. Each need the three components to do what they do best. A bow is useless with out string or limbs or riser. An arrow cannot be aimed or hit effectively without fletchings or point. Never mind the foolishness of shooting an arrow without a shaft.

This is true for the archer. You. Me. Anyone. If we have no body, how could we hold the bow, the arrow? If no mind, how could we draw or aim or shoot? But what of spirit? This is like the force of Love. The spirit of the hunt is like this force. It's the motivation, the drive, the energy that sends us scampering through the trees in search of that harvest of plenty. 

In the wake of dire news, that energy can either dissipate like air from a leaky ballon or ignite a passion to seek answers. 

The park hunt was weeks ago, and while I hit the woods several times since, I saw nor heard any deer. Rarely have I had such a long spell without at least seeing or hearing something of a deer. But this last time, as I sat for hours shivering in the wind as a cold front moved in, I felt my hope begin to wane. It was in this moment that I pondered the Three. To saddle hunt you need a rope, a harness and a good tree. Even a leaning stand needs the stand, the tree and a good tether to hold it in place. To shoot a deer with a rifle you need the gun, the ammo and hunter - just like the archer. And the ammo is itself three - bullet, powder, casing. 

By now you might be weary of this analogy. I'll stay the course. 

A few years ago, I went through a season of what I call "smooth seas." Everything was routine, typical, uneventful. Even as I became complacent there was this idea that something was on the horizon. Little did I know a storm was brewing. As a manager of a small central department to the company I worked for, I was prone to posting words of encouragement, inspiration and motivation to keep morale moving on an upward trend. One such quote struck me:

"Smooth seas never made a skilled sailor." 

I'm not sure exactly who coined that phrase, but I do wonder if they truly understood what they were saying. I grew up on the water. Sailing was familiar to me and I have memories of good and bad trips in all manner of boats. But this, this was different. A good sailor learns almost exclusively by experience. They can have all the knowledge in the world about sails, sheets, masts, rudders, and so forth and be just as likely to capsize as a youth inadvertently rocking over a canoe. 

 Life gets like this. Storms of unforeseen circumstances can blow in and shake our confidence, even try our mettle as when they company I worked nearly a decade for shuttered its doors. These are the seas we need to learn to sail, trim the sails, drive into the waves and fight the rudder. This is where we learn the skills needed to make it to a safe harbor, though battered and beaten we may be. In this the secret of the Three make all the difference. 

Love is the foundation. Most of us have a basic understanding of love. Loving our family, our friends, even our pets. But what does that look like in hard times? Love is pushing through the flotsam and jetsam of tragedy and hardship. It's the giving up of yourself to help or even rescue others. But without faith, without hope, love becomes empty motions. Its bailing water on a sinking ship. 

Faith is the thing that gets us moving. It's the belief that we'll make it through, one way or the other and maybe by a thread but make it nonetheless. It's the trust that something's gotta give, even if that something is ourselves. But that giving is what's tied to hope. 

One of my favorite songs has the line "We're all cast-aways in need of rope Hangin' on by the last threads of our hope"

Here is where empty hours in a treestand yield fruit. Here is where time in the crashing waves finds its anchor. Hope isn't the capstone on a pyramid of faith and love. Nor is it the strands that tie them together. Without faith, without love, hope is dreaming of better times. Instead, hope is the arrow. It's the thing that once focused and let loose flies to its mark. Certainly winds of change conflict its flight, but it will hit regardless. It's our hope that it hits where we aim, the bullseye at the other end of the field, the heart of the matter we're pursuing. 

Just as I'll continue to take to the woods in search of another bountiful harvest, I'll take to the circumstances and fight for answers, search for meaning, and push for more. This is how three cords are stronger than one. Like the rope I use to keep me safe and to climb for higher perspective, so do these aid me in give me the courage to work throw these hard times.