Arrow: (n) a shaft sharpened at the front and with feathers or vanes at the back, shot from a bow as a weapon or for sport.

“I shot an arrow into the air, and where it falls I know not where.”

Isn’t that irresponsible? I think if we’re going to be arrow-shooters, we should be conscientious to know where they fall.

The parallels of this into other areas of our lives are so numerous that I would be frightened to jump in, lest it appear that I’ve purchased some sort of soap box on which to stand for proclamation.

Yet I will tell you that there is a certain amount of control that proves we have respect for the world around us. There is too much arrow-shooting into the air with a “devil-may-care” attitude.

Are we supposed to be cautious? Are we supposed to be careful not to offend or hurt others with our arrows?

I don’t think it’s so much an issue of being cautious or careful about our offenses, but rather, to take the time to understand that arrows are pointed, and therefore can be quite lethal.

If I simply tell you that I don’t believe something, I am shooting an arrow into the air without any concern for how it will strike your heart, which happens to hold that belief dear.

There is a power in saying, “As for me…”

“As for me, I’ve found the following to be true.”

As for me, I don’t shoot my arrows into the air, but instead, find targets. And when I shoot at a target and take precise aim, then my intention is clear.

To shoot an arrow into the air and not know where it’s going to fall is the beginning of every war. It is the consummation of every family struggle, lending itself to the destruction of the unity.

We need to know where our arrows fall, and the only way to achieve that is by never pulling out an arrow … unless you’ve chosen a target.

Thank you for enjoying Words from Dic(tionary) —  J.R. Practix