MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH LOST AND OTHER PERSONALITY ANOMALIES!

I love/hate the show LOST, which means I really love it, and I'll sorely miss the angst, confusion, frustration, perplexity and spectacular characters I've embraced over the past six years. And please don't tell me how the finale went because I haven't seen it yet. I'm savoring the pilot one last time, realizing how many directional clues they gave us that I missed. Rats. . . That's my flaw . . . when sitting in the audience box, I'm a character-driven.

And that's why I was one of those loyal fans who loved every episode, even when the writers took us deeper and deeper into what appeared to be an never-ending abyss of more questions. The characters were rich, complex and so very human.

It's been a rude awakening for me to realize that I my tastes are very different between what I enjoy watching and what I enjoy reading. I love to watch sci-fi and fantasy, but I'll rarely pick up books in those genres. I asked myself why, and for me, the answer is two-fold: First, as I've said, I'm character-driven--I love exploring what motivates people to change or to risk everything. I love to see how they rise or fall depending on their circumstances. I love the triumph over adversity and the willingness to sacrifice oneself for a cause or another person. That's great drama. I can relate to such angst. However, in sci-fi, the characters often take a back seat to the action. (I'm the one who felt Star Wars had way too much warring for my tastes, but I loved the characters.)

And secondly, I'm a visual learner. Give me a picture, set up a scene or place an character in a situation I can relate to, and you'll capture my interest. But speculative works require the reader to follow a complex storyline filled with the unfamiliar, and then take the information and recreate the world in their mind. That's not an easily accessed skill set for me. A movie makes the world real to me in a way my brain can't manage alone, so I'll buy a ticket to the film and probably skip the book. It's just the way I'm wired.

LOST was adept at both elements--complex, vulnerable, multi-faceted characters who would have captivated me in any setting, time or situation; combined with plot lines that kept me tense from the first scene to the last. It was brilliant. It taxed all my skill sets, feeding me generously with rich characters that energized me for the work the plots required.

I'll enjoy the finale tonight, and then I'll sorely miss this show.