KEEP LISTENING TO MY VOICE

"Keep listening to my voice. Think about what you see."
~"Maternity Leave," by Dawn Lambertson Kelly & Matt Ragghianti

Lost is full of clues that very few fans seem to want to discuss in detail (tip of my hat to KarensLostNotes, aohora, game theorists, and some of my favorite theorists over at the Fuselage--you know who you are--who prove the very welcome exception to this rule). The fact that eye color, outfits, and roles change has been mentioned in many places online, but often those of us who want to talk about this aspect of the show are trumpeted into silence by other fans. Not only are many of us told that what we see or hear is irrelevant, we're often told that we are hallucinating or imagining things that aren't even there. While apophenia is highly encouraged by the nature of Lost, it doesn't mean we should ignore the hundreds--perhaps thousands--of clues carefully placed throughout the show. As I sit and look at a screen capture of characters with eyes changing color or hear the voices of our actors change drastically, it seems to me that if we are all hallucinating, then we are all hallucinating together. Assuming we're looking and listening closely, it is only in our interpretation of that dream that we differ.

I've always been hesitant to stand behind one theory of the show and say: "This is my theory." It's just not how my brain works with this show. I have always seen possibilities and tried to keep my mind and heart open for whatever the writers had in mind for us. I've championed many theories over my time as a Lost fan as probable, interesting, creative, exciting, and attentive to details--but honestly, for me this show has so many possibilities that I feel like I'm always skating from one theory to the next. Even within one episode, I switch "theory glasses" constantly. Are we imagining into the show things that aren't even there? Is it possible that once we imagine them, some version of our theory is incorporated into the gestalt, even if it wasn't present in the story before we imagined it?

Several years ago I laughed when an online friend suggested that there should be a movie or television show made about my life. I assured them that while I'm a decent human being, I would be a boring character and my life had little dramatic potential. Yet, in the end, we are all convinced. The crux of the matter is that we are part of this show. I knew the show was in some way about the people who made it, but it took me years to realize that it was also about us. This theory wasn't my idea originally; I've heard many people on The Fuselage hint that the show is about us--but I didn't realize how integral we have become to the show until recently. We are the variables in the equations. What we imagine about the show has some power, and I would say even more so what we decide to do in our lives has power (other than the obvious fact that the choices we make in our lives affect our lives). Don't like that our characters never talk to each other? Talk to your friends and relatives. Want to know what happens? Take a good look around you. Listen and watch. Care for the people around you that you love. Practice compassion for those who you don't understand and try to put yourself in their shoes. Keep a healthy sense of humor--laugh at the absurd. Speak up for what you believe in. If you have a bad day, start over again--yesterday matters, but you have another chance to have a better day today.

As for the show, turn up the sound and listen to our characters' voices. Really listen. They change. Listen for sections of dialog that sound different--and listen for phrases that sound familiar. As a hardcore Lost fan, as the show became a part of your life, it is possible that--whether or not you were aware of it--part of your life became a part of it. All of us are the characters. I am you, and you are me, and both of us might be part of someone we have seen on our TV. We are all in this together.

"Hey David, it's dad. I'm uh...I'm in Sydney, Australia. Something...something happened..and I...I just needed to hear your voice. Um...I guess I'll try again later. I love you."
~"Lighthouse," written by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse

The voice changes and blurs are everywhere. Have you heard a voice that didn't match a face? Have you heard a version of yourself?