LOST – Saying “Goodbye” to an Era

Tonight is a special evening for me. It looks like any other Sunday evening, but something special is happening. Tonight is the last episode of LOST, ABC’s wildly successful television program that follows the lives of plane crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island, after a commercial jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles crashes somewhere in the South Pacific.

As I sit here with great anticipation of episode #121- the last one, I’m already missing LOST and it’s not even over yet. But I know what’s coming. No more new episodes. All the questions will be answered and something about that makes me feel sad.
I became a fan a few years ago when me daughter and son highly recommended I watch this series. My husband and I rented all of the past episodes and had a LOST marathon. Since then, I’ve been hooked.

We watch very little television in our home, but there’s something about this series that inspires me. Maybe it’s not knowing what’s going to happen next, including what time zone, parallel lifetime or geographical location we’ll be in. Maybe it’s the affection I feel for the characters, almost thinking of them as “friends”. Maybe it’s because this series is smart and makes me think. Maybe it’s the age-old pitting of good vs. evil. Or, maybe some crazy part of me is just thrilled to see  polar bears hanging out in a tropical jungle. Regardless of the reason, I love LOST and I will miss it.

There is a sadness tonight in saying “Goodbye” to an old friend. I know I can always watch reruns, but it’s just not the same. I guess a part of me was hoping it would go on forever. But, they say that all good things must end.

As I sit and contemplate how I think it might end, I wonder if somewhere in some parallel Universe, God, or whatever higher being you believe in, is hanging out with a bunch of angels, watching us and wondering what moves we’re going to make next. I wonder if they ever throw a party to experience an episode of our life. When you think about it, I think the reason I enjoy LOST so much is that it IS like life. It’s unpredictable, anything can happen and it’s filled with infinite possibility. There’s something wonderful about NOT knowing all of the answers and watching with great anticipation as life unfolds, one moment at a time.

I only hope the last episode answers some of the questions but still leaves me with a lingering sense of magic, the ability to resolve some things for myself and the ability to continue the series in my head. Even though this is the last episode, I think I’ll continue to believe in the “what if” that makes LOST so irresistible. Chances are, if we take that same attitude into our own lives, they too will be irresistible to watch AND to live. 🙂