We’re watching the first season of “Lost” although Randy would probably say that I’m subjecting him to watching “Lost” with me. I’ve owned the DVDs since last year but just haven’t taken the time to get through very many of the episodes.
I really do enjoy the show as does Randy (except when monsters and polar bears jump out) but I’ve been wondering why. The mysteries of the island are interesting but more intriguing are the back stories of the characters that are slowly revealed every episode. It seems that everyone on the island is struggling with regret. Will they live differently on the island now that their slates have been wiped clean in a way? Will they succumb to the ghosts that haunt them?
I once knew two people who had an ongoing almost daily discussion about what each would take if stranded on an island: which 10 books, which 10 CDs, what flavors of ice cream, etc. It was as if the questions helped to define them, what they liked and what and who was important. Would being stranded on a desert island really be freeing?
What I’ve seen so far from watching “Lost” is that the writers believe that we can’t ever really escape ourselves much like the wise words of Buckaroo Banzai “… remember, no matter where you go, there you are. ” You can never leave your self. Perhaps the characters of “Lost” will gain a better understanding of themselves as they are not distracted by the busyness of normal life in a first-world country. Granted, they do have to fear being eaten by a monster or being kidnapped by the seemingly evil “Others” on the island, but overall, their lives are simplified.
I like learning the possible reasons people are the way they are and what made them the people they are today. I truly believe that everyone has a story and everyone has experienced pain. Although the characters of “Lost” are not real people, finding out some of what makes each one tick is fascinating. After all, who we are is a sum of the stories that we replay in our minds.