The feeling of being in flow is that of being at peace in any activity. It is that feeling of lightness, of moving without effort, of buoyancy: as if flying through the air or floating in water.
In the summer of 2014, I visited the deputy chief of the Brunswick, Georgia, Fire Department, Jerry Allen (Georgia Smoke Diver #399). Jerry owns a crabbing business in the Brunswick/Savanah area. He had invited me to go out on his boat, while he collected crabs from the traps he had set. We were up at 4 a.m. and on the water before the sun was up. The water was like glass; the air was cool. As we moved swiftly through the marshes to where his traps were located, we saw the most beautiful sunrise and flocks of a variety of sea birds.
I watched Jerry’s face as he worked. He was in his element. He was at peace; he was at home. This was his flow state. He stayed in that state from low tide to high tide, as he pulled in and emptied crab traps as fast as his helper could...