Sunday, May 23, 2010

How Lost Changed My Life

Well, here we are. Hours before the finale of a show that has brought all of us here (wait... does that make me Jacob and this blog my island??). We are all fans of TV. Not just Lost, but television. Over the years I’ve laughed and cried along with Buffy and Angel, felt excitement shoot through me to see Omar Little in ANY scene, fallen in love with Jim and Pam, delighted at the sheer wonder of Pushing Daisies, sleuthed with Veronica Mars... my formative years are filled with memories of Sesame Street and Little House on the Prairie. When I didn’t have my nose stuck in a book of some kind, of course.

Too often, we use the hyperbole, “such-and-such changed my life.” I released two collections of stories from fans about how a show changed their lives. Is it true with Lost?

I remember the first internet fandom I became a part of was on a Simpsons listserv (yep, way back in the day), talking about episodes, dissecting favourite quotes. And then I became a full-fledged Xenite, in Gabrielle groups and Callisto groups and talking about Ancient Greeks and filking... there was such a close-knitness to that fandom. Next came Buffy, and that one was more spread out... they couldn’t even decide on a name for what they were: Buffites, Buffaholics, Buffyphiles. That show was one where I decided to recruit pretty much everyone I knew in real life and I found that to be more of my discussion point. Angel spread from that, as did Alias.

And then along came Lost. Like Buffy, it attracts demographics across the board: men, women, all age groups. Teenagers are watching it alongside grandparents. Academics devour it. Physics majors, literature scholars, specialists in linguistics. And yet despite the disparity of backgrounds, we all found Lost together. In places like this blog and countless other spots around the Internets, people came together week after week, day after day, to talk about every aspect of this show.

Did Lost change my life? Absolutely. When Lost started in September 2004, I had a one-month-old baby. My first. She was my perfect, perfect little girl. I still remember sitting in the big comfy green chair when the pilot of Lost started. I was probably breastfeeding her at the time, my life was in upheaval, I was in the whirlwind place of being a new mom, with all of its gloriousness and overwhelmingness. And sitting with that little bundle on my lap, I watched people in a similar place of upheaval and confusion try to recover after they’d just been dealt a horrible blow in their life – they’d crashed on an island. I didn’t have a blog, I’d just released books on Angel and Alias and I honestly thought that after my daughter was born there would be no more time to write books. Those books were to be my swansong, and now I was just going to watch TV for the fun of watching it.

And then “Walkabout” happened. A show written by a former Buffy writer, it was one that changed the series for me forever, and took the writing to a completely new level. This wasn’t just a fun show filled with action and adventure... it was going to offer me twists and turns and mysteries and reveals. This was the rollercoaster I’d been waiting for. And by the beginning of season 2, I’d found a show I absolutely HAD to write about.

My first book covered off the first two seasons. I read Brothers Karamazov and The Third Policeman for the first time, and reread Lord of the Flies and Heart of Darkness and 1984 (the latter was one I read on a beach when I was at a resort for my brother’s wedding... a very odd beach book choice!). I had to revisit my philosophy classes and political science notes. I had to remember a lot of the critical theory I’d taken in university. This was a show that challenged me in ways I’d never been challenged before, and when that book came out, many of my friends – chiefly Jeremy – succeeded in convincing me to start up my own blog. So, at the beginning of season 3, I began blogging about Lost live. A few of the regulars who are still here today were among my first readers. I would get 15 comments on a post and be so excited that I actually had READERS!! As the season went on and the book was out there and selling, I started building up a bigger audience. And then I convinced my publisher that this show actually merited a book a season, something that took a LOT of convincing, several meetings, and a reluctant and nervous commitment.

And now, we’re in the final stretch. That one-month-old little girl is now five-and-a-half going on 24, full of determination and stubbornness and joy and wonder. And she has a brother, who is two-and-a-half and starting to develop his own voice and has this high-pitched giggle. My daughter can’t walk by a piece of paper – be it a post-it, newspaper, empty paper towel roll – without drawing something on it. She’ll either be a painter or a writer or a graffiti artist. She loves writing little stories, and one day she was leaning over her papers looking very serious and determined, and I asked her what she was doing and she looked up innocently and saying, “Oh, just writing a book about Lost.” Because to her, that’s what mommy does. And it’s perfectly normal. She tells teachers and parents of friends that her mommy writes books about the TV show Lost, and they smile and pat her on the head and don’t believe her. Until I smile and say no, actually, it’s true. And then they look confused.

Those 15 comments per post have exploded into 400 or more (ack!), and where I used to respond to every one, the few sporadic readers I had in here have become a tight community of people who follow each other to other blogs, reading what everyone has to say instead of just me, and I don’t have to moderate things so closely because people aren’t here to talk to me, they’re here to talk to everyone in our community. I love it. I love that I have this place where people respect and truly like one another. Where we could get together in person in NYC, not having met each other, and actually be able to sit and chat to one another for hours. The 150 readers a day I used to have has grown to thousands per day.

I have been exposed to ideas of physics (in high school you had to take two sciences, and I chose chem and biology, foregoing physics... boy, was THAT a mistake!) I read Stephen Hawking and enjoyed it. Ulysses had been sitting on my shelf since 2000, when I’d gone over to Paris and bought my copy in Shakespeare & Co, the bookstore where Joyce actually sat and wrote it. And despite being totally overwhelmed by it in places, the ending of that book is possibly my favourite of all time. I read Valis and Flannery O’Connor and this season I’m working through Notes from Underground and Kierkegaard. I’ve been exposed to new ways of thinking, different philosophies, new ways of looking at myself. I find myself thinking week after week, How different would my life have been if I’d made different choices early on?

I used to be the Buffy gal. Now I’m the Lost authority. But that word – authority, expert – always makes me wince a bit, because I don’t think any one person is a Lost authority. We all are. I’ll never forget coming on here and saying after seeing “Whatever Happened Happened” that I was kinda with Hurley, and didn’t understand how you could shoot Miles in 1977 and he would still get on the freighter in 2004. That admission garnered several thoughtful and amazing responses that eventually turned into one of my most popular chapters in the season 5 book. I can now put out a note, “Hey, if there’s a police officer/lawyer/person who speaks Korean/physics major out there...” and ask a question, and get answers. It has entirely changed the process of writing these books from a solitary experience to a shared one that is very community-based. It’s the reason I thank every person on here in my acknowledgements (and then feel bad when I forget someone (sorry Erin!) or spell someone’s name wrong (sorry, Zari!)). This blog and the community that has built up around it means so much to me, and I didn’t know ANY of you before all of this started in September 2004.

So YES. Lost has changed my life. I will sit on that couch tonight, alone in the actual viewing of the episode, but not alone because ALL of you will be there with me in spirit, laughing at Hurley’s jokes, crying at the death of someone we love, secretly hoping for an appearance by Nikki and Paulo... we have created inside jokes on here that are pretty much specific to Nik at Nite (and yes, I DO believe Jacob is hella-palatable, though Man in Black is even more so). People have announced birthdays, births, deaths, sicknesses, and anniversaries on here, and like family and friends, we all band together for everyone else.

The overriding message from Lost that I think tonight’s episode will come down to is, “Live together, die alone.” Jack’s been saying it since season 1. And I think a less dramatic version is definitely applicable to what we’ve built up here: because we’ve discussed this show together, no one ever feels alone. Even if you go into work and not a single soul watches it and none of your friends understand you when you talk about Dharma and time travel and compass bearings, we all know we have kindred spirits waiting for us here, who will dissect and haiku until the end of time.

I’ve been saying one thing all season: that when the finale happens, the speculation can end, and the discussion can truly begin. While I’m simultaneously excited and saddened by the finale coming tonight, I can’t wait to share the experience with all of you out there, and to spend tomorrow chatting about all of it. And the rest of the week. And the coming months. And then maybe we’ll find another show that strikes our fancy, and we’ll all come together to watch and discuss it. There’s no shortage of good television out there, just a shortage of good discussion about it. And that’s where WE come in!!

So thank you, Damon and Carlton. Thank you, Lost. But mostly, thank you to everyone out there reading my words and commenting on my posts and just being there so I know I’m not sitting here typing out into a wilderness. You have helped make the experience of watching this show a richer one for me, and I am so grateful for it. You have changed the way I write my books (I mean, without one particular reader on this blog, I wouldn’t have the last two books covers!) Lost isn’t the only thing that changed my life: you did. Thank you, and enjoy the finale tonight.

See you on the other side, bruthahs and sistas.

42 comments:

Loretta said...

What a lovely, moving post.

I too am excited for the "real" discussion. I imagine that a re-watch that takes place a year or two from now will generate even richer discussions than the ones we had last summer/fall.

And, as many people have said, I strongly believe that the "golden era" of TV really began in the late 90s, early 2000s, when networks and cable began to trust audiences with more complicated, subtler, and serialized forms of story-telling. I'm going to go ahead and predict that in another 2-3 years, there's going to be something else fantastic to dissect with the same levels of detail.

I can't wait. ;-)

Anonymous said...

I think you missed a Thank you off your list- you.
Thank you so much for providing such an friendly, amazingly insightful atmosphere to discuss such a briliant show in.

I'm know i'm not alone when I say how much I'm going to miss coming here for discussion after an episode. And tomorrow when I sit down at 5am to watch the finale I will feel so privileged to know that such a wonderful group of people will be watching with me. :)

deeannjay said...

Just want to wish all the best to everyone who is watching the finale and associated programmes "live". Unfortunately, I shall have to go into my own version of a parallel universe/alt timeline for the next few days as I live in the UK and don't have access to Sky. I (legally) download the show from iTunes and might have to wait until as late as next Saturday for them to make the finale available. Fortunately, I have a very busy week ahead anyway and avoiding spoilers won’t be difficult. In the meantime, I was listening to BBC Radio 4 this afternoon and heard a reading of T S Eliot’s “The Four Quartets”. How apt the opening lines seem for the climax to “Lost”!

Time present and time past
Are both perhaps present in time future
And time future contained in time past.
If all time is eternally present
All time is unredeemable.
What might have been is an abstraction
Remaining a perpetual possibility
Only in a world of speculation.
What might have been and what has been
Point to one end, which is always present.
Footfalls echo in the memory
Down the passage which we did not take
Towards the door we never opened
Into the rose-garden. My words echo
Thus, in your mind. But to what purpose
Disturbing the dust on a bowl of rose-leaves
I do not know. Other echoes
Inhabit the garden. Shall we follow?

Norma Contreras said...

Thank you for having such a great blog. I love reading you even though I came in a little late in the game. I just discovered your blog last year. But it makes me feel more connected to the show and to all the other Lost fans out there. This has been such an incredible show with great characters, actors, writing, Hawaii and even the CGI sub (wink, wink). So hats off to Lost and you for giving everyone this forum. I just ordered all your books on Amazon and will be rewatching Lost again!

JS said...

Thank YOU, Nikki. This is the best forum on the internet for discussion of Lost, because of the mood you set, the intellectual and fun atmosphere, and most importantly, the politeness and friendliness. The lack of snark is astonishing, actually.

I have always been an avid television watcher, but I have never discussed my thoughts or ideas with anyone on my side of the screen (my TV, on the other hand, has heard plenty). It has been such a pleasure to follow and be part of discussions that I could not imagine happening in another context. And, this winter, when I had an event that could have easily been a tragedy, once things settled down, the thing I looked forward to getting back to normal on was this blog!

Thanks, Nikki, for giving us such a friendly spot. And thanks, DARLTON, for giving us such an intriguing story. Just as re-watches have given us new insight, I am sure we will have plenty to talk about for the months, and maybe years, to come.

JS said...

>-<

JW said...

Thanks for posting this, Nikki! I was hoping for something special today, and you delivered it!

Today is such a focal point in your life: one you've anticipated for so many years, and one you'll remember for the rest of the years afterwards. Enjoy.

Unknown said...

Hi Nikki! :)

Just a new follower telling you much I loved this article.
It's funny...even though I knew the end was coming, I thought I would be ok with it. But just updating my Facebook status right now about tonight's finale almost made me teary.
Part of me can't comprehend a world where there will never be new episodes of "Lost". And even while I was a hardcore "Buffy" addict, that show ending didn't affect me as much as this one seems to be.
I just wish I had found your site sooner. I would have loved to have been able to discuss the episodes with all of you. :(

Erin {pughs' news} said...

Dearest Nikki,

You have brought all of us together to share our love of this amazing show, have led the most incredible and thought-provoking discussions about it, and helped us to understand it on a much deeper level than if we'd been left to just ponder it on our own.

Thank YOU. It has been simply brilliant. I can't wait to talk about the finale tomorrow.

Unknown said...

Thank you for such a great piece... it's absolutely wonderful to think of how a TV show can bring people together... I am going to miss LOST!

LoyallyLOST said...

WOW!!! I am a bit teary eyed! I haven't been able to get on here for a couple of weeks because my computer died(LUCKILY I backed up all my granddaughters pictures since birth. And, that is a LOT of pix! Something just told me to do them all! WHEW!)& then, we took a road trip for the past week! Had to watch last weeks episode in the condo with the itsy bitsy making lots of noise. But, thank the good Lord for DVR's! Sooooo, I just read this post & I have to say it feels like Nikki is saying goodbye! But, we know she isn't. It is just bittersweet that we won't have weekly episodes anymore. No, I honestly don't believe there will be another show that even comes close to LOST! I just hope we have lots of months ahead to come back to talk, reminisce(SP?)& just plain bug poor Nikki!
I just simply cannot wait(well, I can, but...)for tomorrow, so we can 'talk' about the finale & see what everyone has to say! I will probably be in tears, as will a lot of you out there! Yup...just suck it up, men! YOU will be in tears, too!
Hey! We now know that Jacob is 2000years old! I absolutely love the enhanced episodes! I learned a few little tidbits I didn't notice or know before!
Here is my theory about the island~
remember in the Season Premiere this year, where Jack was looking out his window on the plane & we saw the island under water? Well, I think non-Locke is going to destroy the island by sinking it. Anyone else out there agree?
Anyway, I thought Nikki's post here was so sweet, heartfelt & you know she truly appreciates us all & we can 'feel the love'!
I truly think this is THE best site to come on because we can give our opinions & theories & no one 'flames' us! You are the nicest bunch of LOSTies in the world!
I hope some of you will be going to the 'LOST Legends' tour on Oahu in July. I will be there(Hubby doesn't want to do it.Wha...?)I know we will only know each other by our screen names, but I am sure there will be some of you there. I hope! That would be 'totally cool, dude!'
I have never dropped everything to watch a show before. I probably never will again because this is a show like no other. Such an amazing following!
Did anyone send in a text the other nite? That will be so cool to see all of them on there.
CanNOT wait to get the Season6 DVD!
Nikki has been such a great person! How many authors & bloggists do you know that cares this much about her followers & that actually answers your emails! Truly one of a kind! She is so busy, yet she takes the time for her fans. Her husband deserves a high five, too! Such good people!
I just think this has been the best place to come to & I will miss it when it is finally done. BUT, we can keep it going for a while!!! THAT makes me happy!
Wow! Only a couple more hours!
Don't forget Jimmy Kimmel tonight! 3 alternate endings!!! Yippee skippee!!!
Enjoy 'getting LOST', everyone!!!
Until tomorrow!!!!!
Namaste!

LoyallyLOST said...

OH! One more thing!(Sorry to be so longwinded!)I think the final thing before the black background with LOST across it will be an eye closing! The show opened(pilot)with Jack's eye opening. Just a theory or opinion.

Amy Lynn said...

The morning after every episode of LOST, I hop on your blog and do a 'dramatic reading' either aloud to my mom, (another fan of yours and LOST) my husband or in my head. I will miss those mornings but I hope we all find another show that moves us, makes us think and cry so we can stay this little community.

So many people who read and post to your blog are so smart and witty that I basically just read and post a little something here or there, but I want you to know how much fun I have had and that I wish you all well! Who knows, maybe I will see some of you on a flight someday!

XOXO

Ambivalentman said...

Thanks, Nikki. I started reading your blog somewhere close to the beginning, but didn't start commenting till the LOST re-watch this past year. I have to say that you made me realize that it was okay to write about television. I'd always thought I was kind of stupid for wanting to write about what I was watching, but seeing how excited you got about it -- and how academic it can be -- was what made me want to start doing it myself.

In a lot of ways, my blog wouldn't exist without yours, and I have always appreciated the shout-outs you've given me. Thank you!

Marcia said...

Hi Nikki

I just wanted to say Thank You for this blog. I am a latecomer as only discovered you last year when rewatching the first five series of Lost and I have visited other fan forums but nowhere is the atmosphere as friendly as it is here. So a big thank you too to all your readers for making it just so.

I am waiting in the UK to watch Lost at 5am in the morning, dont think I will sleep before with the anticipation. I am missing it already - don't want it to end :(

I will be back tomorrow to read your review Nikki and to read all of the comments and discussion

Lost is the best show ever. Not sure I will ever experience a tv show like this one again or even that I would want to

Enjoy the finale everyone

A Frustrated Writer said...

This blog has helped me through LOST in more ways than one. Not only did buying your season 5 book help me understand a lot of the messages written between the lines of the show's script. Not only did it clarify LOST's many literary references. It also connected me to a group and let me know that I wasn't the only person picking up on the writer's references to past seasons.

Without a community, LOST wouldn't be close to the powerful show it is today. You connected me to that ever-growing, ever-present community of people. Thank you. :D

Finale is tonight. I wish Juliet was still here, as she was last season, but I can get past that. :P Along with every other fan, I hope that the final chapter of the series concludes it as well as Jorge Garcia said it would.

Fingers crossed.

Unknown said...

Awww you made me tear up Nikki and our ending marathon of perfect tv hasn't even started yet. It took me a long time to move from lurked to commented, but once I did I was greeted with the love and respect you honored here today. And yes the discussion will go on. For me, knowing the answere will make rewatching the series again even a more rich experience. Thank you for hosting my favorite LOST site. I so do enjoy it here.

Chelsea said...

Wonderful post! I know I feel the same way. When I watched the pilot on that fateful day in 2004 I was just a few weeks pregnant with my son. Season 1 got me through a difficult pregnancy, and our little boy Sawyer was born just in time for me to get home from the hospital for the season finale. Now Sawyer is 5. Funny (and nostalgic-tears-inducing) to think that I've never been a mother without LOST.

asiancolossus said...

Thank you Nikki for being our guide all of these years. Your blog has enriched my experience with Lost more than you will ever know. When I first came onto this blog 3 years ago, I was so thrilled that someone of your knowledge would even acknowledge anything that I would say, I was always fearful that I would be laughed at for my lack of understanding or insight. Much to my delight you always took the time to not only respond but also respect my opinion, and the opinions of others on the board. To me, that is pure class.

So thank you Nikki, I still look forward to reading what you have to say, After Lost and beyond. Thanks for being our guide and our constant.

humanebean said...

Well said Nikki, as ever. I, too, feel that LOST changed my lifer, though certainly not as dramatically as yours. I am immensely grateful to have been (and to BE, not to use the past tense) a part of this wonderful community you started. Kudos to all who have visited, read, commented and treated each others' thoughts and opinions with respect and admiration.

Just finished watching last years' finale and now getting ready for the beginning of tonight's event. Enjoy, all!!

lburg7 said...

I discovered your blog through Docarzt.com, or possibly the blog that he contributed to before that. I have been a faithful reader of your blog ever since.
Tonight is special, we are all seeing our beloved Lost through to its conclusion. (Except me, I got called to work...argh!)
Thank you, Nikki, for the time you have devoted to this great blog. Just like Lost, I have loved every minute of it.
I think I will spend some time tonight tyring my hand at Haiku.
Enjoy the finale, I will catch up tomorrow!

Zari said...

@LoyallyLOST: Don't forget Jimmy Kimmel tonight! 3 alternate endings!!! Yippee skippee!!!

And if you haven’t seen the “mini-sode” where Jacob touches Jimmy, “Jacob from LOST visits Jimmy” , find it on youtube.com and hulu.com, and a dozen other sites on The Internets!

Rebecca T. said...

Man, you've got me crying already ;-;

My life has seriously changed because of Lost, but honestly, it has changed because of you and because of what you have done here. How very grateful I am that yours was the only book on Lost we happened to have in stock when I went looking. As much as I have enjoyed the show and as much as it has affected me, it is the discussion here, the comments, the interchange of ideas, the inside jokes, the verification word definitions, the little and big things that tie us all together that have impacted me the most. I came in late, but you all welcomed me with open arms and hearts and I am incredibly grateful. So thank you to you ALL, but especially to Nikki who opened her little corner of the internet for us to share!

VW: rumetsoc - The random single sock that hangs around your dresser - the one you're never sure where it came from, but you keep it sure that you'll find the mate one day.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for great books and great blogs, Nikki! :)

Mark R.Y. said...

The first "Finding Lost" book was the first writings I ever read about this show. I watched the series 1 and 2 DVDs during the end of summer 2006 and had begun season 3 when I found your book at a Barnes & Noble. Great insights about this show in your books and this blog! Thank you for making my LOST experience all the better. What a great time I've had with this series. I'm going to miss that "what will happen next" feeling very much. :)

By the way, I wrote "Not Penny's Boat" on the palm of my hand today as a tribute. lol

Wurlpiz said...

Great post Nikki! We will continue to visit your site even after LOST comes to an end. You've done a fantastic job!

Joan Crawford said...

Nikki, I'm trying to be happy but I already cried during the recap ;_;

Virgina Katz said...

Thank you, Nikki, for this blog, it really has illuminated LOST in so many ways. And thank you for filling all those extra hours between episodes, god knows it's hard to wait 7 days, let alone 7 months, to find out what happens next. What happens after tonight I don't know, but I do know it wouldn't have been the same without you and Nik at Nite and all the people here :)

gover@comcast.net said...

Star Trek - The Wrath Of Khan! Star Trek - The Wrath Of Khan! Star Trek - The Wrath Of Khan!
If that's not Spock in the Matter/Anti-Matter Engine Coil, I don't know what is. Desmond = Spock. Jack = Spock.

Jazzygirl said...

Thank you, Nikki, for enriching my life too! :) I may not comment a lot anymore due to personal constraints but I'm here all the time and read the posts. :)

Michele said...

Thanks, Nikki, for this beautiful blog. I've been here almost from the beginning and plan on staying as long as there is something interesting to talk about - although I don't think there can ever be something quite as special as LOST. It's the first show that I have ever gotten so involved with outside of me talking to my TV.

pete said...

I loved this post, Nik. Although I don't post often, I read it all the time. I respect you for your commitment to this project, and for helping pull so many voices together. I appreciate your leadership, your heart, your wit, and the way you challenge us. Although it's sad that Lost is about to end, we remember that life is a journey, not a destination. Thanks for taking us along on this fine ride!

Austin Gorton said...

Thanks, Nikki, for shining a light onto Lost, for creating this community, for inspiring and enlightening us all. Thanks for everything.

(And no, I'm not going anywhere. Just saying thanks. :) ).

Anonymous said...

Love the site and really enjoyed reading your articles. Like someone else said, I wish I found this site earlier. I look forward to the real discussion afterwards...

The Question Mark said...

This is beautiful, Nikki.
Thank you!

Stephen 'Socks' Bowron said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Stephen 'Socks' Bowron said...

I'm pretty new to your work, as I only just finally decided to buy your books.
And you are AMAZING. To know there's such a passionate 'academic' out there is so good.
I look forward to hoping to discuss the show with you in the future.

Socks.
=)

Gracie said...

Dearest Nikki:

You are asking us "How Lost Changed My Life"? How about "How Lost Saved My Life"?

I don't know if you saw it, but Saturday night somebody named "Anonymous" posted a comment aimed directly at me on the "What They Died For" Blog. In the not too distant past, I would have shut down my laptop, rolled over into a ball, and cried for days. But, and this is important to you, what that person actually did was remind me why I e-mailed you the very first time, and the poor state of my health at that time. Below is a very small part of my reply back to "Anonymous":

"People like YOU are the reason that people like ME usually keep their mouths shut, but because of the warm welcome and medical assists, reminders, and gentle nudges that I've received HERE at Nik at Nite, you will have no effect on me at all.
So why don't you take your toys and go play in a sandbox where you're welcome, Anonymous? THESE people are KIND! Obviously, you do not belong here, and I'm sincerely sorry that I was away from the blog and kept you waiting for my reply. NOW, maybe you'll leave?"

There was a larger truth in that, Nikki. If I had not become so comfortable with YOU through your books and the blog, I would have never sent the e-mail. I knew I was in good hands with you. Although I had never posted at that time, I felt comfortable enough with the people on the blog, and felt I knew them well enough, that if ALL of them didn't stand by me or help me, some (or most) of them would. And they have!!

In your post you said, "I love that I have this place where people respect and truly like one another." You know what? You should! This is yours! You've earned the praise you receive from people. And the warmest praise that I can possible ever give you is to refer you back to my original e-mail, and just hope that you'll take the time today to actually go and reread it. Someone on the blog asked (or said) when that was first posted that you should send that to Darlton. I agreed then, and I still do. Lost saved my life! I don't need to wonder how it changed me when I already know it saved me. YES, send Darlton a copy of that along with the comments that followed, and share that with them. If/When you decide to do so, let me know so I can send you my home address. If they think I'm a fraud, you'll already have given them an address where they can have me checked out!

Thank you again Nikki.

Always! ;)

Seek The Elusive said...

I just discovered your blog this morning, and found your reaction and insight about the final episode familiar. In the grand scheme of things, the show teaches us that many of us are LOST, for different reasons, and trying to find the way. It's usually easier with friends around us.

paleoblues said...

Nikki

Simply....Thank You!

shobiz said...

Nikki, I've been a loyal lurker and a very rare commenter here for some time. I didn't read this post until after watching the finale, and in my current emotional state regarding LOST and LOST fandom, I'm all misty and verklempt. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

TM Lawrence said...

Nikki: I've said in another post that I have been cognitively sharpened and spiritually softened by Lost. I have also been, for the first time in my life (to my knowledge), been classified as one of those fringe people, obsessed with a fictional world, as a result of the show. It is possibly true: we'll see in a few years wherein, if I'm attending conventions and still responding to Lost blogs, it was true all along. For now, I prefer to view the change wrought in my life by my lost viewership as an emergence from the "Dark Night of the Soul" that all my spiritual dabblings, religious test drives, and readings of John of the Cross, the Vedas, the Q'ran, CS Lewis, Kierkegaard, and the rest never achieved. For a television series to speak so directly to the alienation of a Lost time and to so exceed it's scope and reach in providing a guidebook for the restoration of Love In The Ruins broadly, and the humanities lost in my science individually, is a once-in-a-lifetime mystery indeed.