Flow: An Everlasting Meaning

Chris Gorham
Seminar in English Composition
Dr. Adam Johns
15 October 2008

Flow: An Everlasting Meaning

It is evident through “Jimmy Corrigan” that times have changed. No longer do we live in an ideal society filled with tranquil harmony in our communities, or more importantly, our families. Jimmy’s depressed and meaningless life is the result of an absent collectiveness, especially within the family. It is argued that the lack of collectiveness within our community and family lives is taking away from the meaning of life altogether. Regardless of this lacking collectiveness, however, I believe that it is impossible to lose self meaning altogether. Our meaning as humans is not based on others, rather on the activities we engage ourselves in that take us away from reality.

In Bill Mckibbens book, “Enough”, the term “flow” is used frequently. It is meant to describe some activity in which we are so involved with that nothing else matters. For example, artists who have a love for painting become honed in on their work so much so that their troubles around them are disregarded. In “Enough”, Csikszentmihaly is quoted, ”You are so involved in what you are doing that you aren’t thinking of yourself as separate from that immediate activity.” (Mckibben 52) Mckibben goes on to say that, “forgetting the self seems to be a key part of falling into the flow.” (Mcibben 52) The state we fall in when reaching this flow gives us some kind of meaning. It sets us apart from others by differentiating our outlets of everyday stresses.

In relation to Jimmy Corrigan, Jimmy’s life is full of a different kind of flow. It is not a flow that is represented through sports or art; rather it is reached through his highly complex imagination. Jimmy uses his imagination to cope with his broken family and because society sees him as a failure. One prime example of this is on page 36 when Jimmy imagines brutally killing his father. Jimmy imagines this brutal act because his father has not been around his whole life which gives Jimmy the opportunity to escape the emptiness of his life in a different way. Another example of Jimmy’s imagination fulfilling the emptiness of his life is on page 12 when he imagines himself with Peggy by a fire discussing peach groves, when in reality Jimmy’s relationship with Peggy is quite the opposite. Peggy has little interest in Jimmy, and only seeing him as someone to deliver mail to. However, Jimmy’s imagination gives him the chance to imagine his life in a way that gives him pleasure and satisfaction.

Flow, regardless of how it is attained gives us all a way to separate ourselves from the troubles we face. We gather meaning from this activity because it is different for each and every person. Jimmy may not be the only person who copes through imagining something better; however, he is the only person who copes through his own imagination. No one can see through his eyes and this is what sets him apart from others, giving him a meaning.

Society’s continuing loss of collectiveness within the community and family has made the stressors of life more difficult and strenuous. Many believe that these increase difficulties within our lives have caused and will continue to cause the deterioration of the meaning humans hold for themselves. This meaning is not controlled by what life brings at us, but rather how we cope with it. Many, including Jimmy Corrigan, resort to activities that separate them from reality. This flow activity where we reach complete separation is what gives us our meaning. It is how we can separate ourselves from one another regardless of how much stress or difficulty we endure. Society maybe becoming more individualistic nature, but as long as we hold on to what makes us free from it all, we will always have a meaning.