Lost in Thought - 6/1/10

It physically pains me that I haven't updated this page in several months, so rather than addressing my laziness and sheer lack of insight for that outrageous period of time, I'll instead delve right into my topic.  The series finale of Lost has left an indelible impression on me.  It's really fostered a great deal of intelligent discourse and sparked a maelstrom of controversy throughout the internets.  It seems that, while undeniably divisive, the vast majority of those that hate the finale do so because they can't come to terms with it on an intellectual level.  The staggering amount of questions left unanswered is simply too much for them to accept.  And they're right to hold this perspective, on the level that they choose to appreciate the show from.  Two of my close friends are both ardent atheists, and so the fact that finale was overtly spiritual didn't sit well with them at all.  But the reason I'm choosing to talk about Lost (again) outside of my Reviews With Music page is because I feel that the last episode, in many ways, mirrors the true nature of existence.  And it's that belief that I feel I should expound upon here, where I wax philosophical to music for.... all 2 of you.  Also, don't worry.... there won't be any spoilers below.

I'm not an apologist....I certainly admit that the sheer number of loose ends left untied in the finale left me enormously frustrated.  If I think about them.  If I choose to dwell on the mythology minutiae of the show, than I would undoubtedly talk myself into hating the finale, and indeed, the series itself.  But I cannot do that....because I truly feel that the show was never really about having things make sense.  There's not a writer on earth who's clever enough to ultimately resolve the twists and turns into a satisfying conclusion for those of us demanding answers.........it's just too much work, and anything they DID come up with would feel convoluted and false.  They wrote themselves into a corner on a number of occasions, and rather than attempting to explain their way out of the mess....they shifted their focus onto to the characters and, consequently, onto the heart of the series.  And they ended it with a sequence that, for my money, was the most moving farewell in the history of television. 

You see, that's why I loved the show.  That's why it was worth it, because in the end Lost stimulated me on an intellectual level but it fulfilled me on a spiritual one.  Which is probably a lot like life.  You'll NEVER be able to understand the universe, or the Mind of God, or whatever you want to call it.  There's simply too much information, too many unseen patterns, to many ineffable mysteries for there to be a concrete Theory of Everything, an answer that will put everything into perspective and give our lives meaning, to somehow have our lives make SENSE!  So if we approach Life from that mentality, we are sure to be perpetually disappointed......always seeking answers, always searching for a meaning and truth that will somehow elude us.  The answers will constantly seem to be just outside of our grasp, and when we think we've discovered them...new questions take their place, making the entire endeavour repeat indefinitely.  

But while you see we'll never GET it, that doesn't mean we shouldn't ENJOY it.  Life is filled with meaning and beauty, the relationships we have with our friends and family, the passion that we devote into FINDING the answers, the investment we have in our own personal edification and the truth that we create and accept as our reality.  It's the NOT knowing that allows us the freedom to come to our own conclusions, to find our own answers through our experiences and our faith. 

And after all is said and done, Lost profoundly affected me...it helped me remember moments of my life that were so filled with emotion and feeling that I couldn't possibly doubt the significance of the six year journey I had just taken.  No, I didn't understand a great deal of it, and maybe some of the more pressing questions will always linger in the back of my head...but honestly, it doesn't really matter....because the show had the power to stir my soul.  And perhaps that's the only reason we're alive.  So that after we've died, all of our unanswered questions will take a back seat to appreciating what really matters....all the love and ~feeling~ that we experienced while we were still alive.