[ WP ] Your grandchildren are amazed that people used to travel by plane . `` What 's wrong with virtual reality ? '' they ask . What do you tell them ?

`` Grandpa, tell us about the times when you used to fly in airplanes! ``, my eager grandson, Jamie, quipped. 
 
 `` Yeah Grandpa, tell us about it! ``, my granddaughter, Rosie, chimed in as well. 
 
 `` Alright'', I began, clearing my throat as I told my grandchildren about the long gone mode of transportation known as air travel. 
 
 `` Well, first you would start off by buying your ticket. This was usually done on the internet, over the phone, or you could go to a travel agency which was where you planned out where you would stay and what times you would fly. This was back in the times of credit cards as well, so there was a lot of punching in numbers by hand''. 
 
 `` That sounds really boring Grandpa'', `` Yeah, that sounds boring''. 
 
 `` Now now children, you have to remember this was a long time ago, ok? This was before even your parents were born. This was before virtual reality''. 
 
 `` Before virtual reality??? ``, Jamie asked in shock. 
 
 `` Yes, before virtual reality. It was better before it in my opinion''. 
 
 `` But, what's wrong with virtual reality Grandpa? ``, Rosie asked, seemingly upset that I would insult her and her brother's favorite gadget. 
 
 `` Nothing at all my dear, virtual reality has done great things for many people. It's allowed sick people to see sights they could never travel to. It's allowed those that could never afford expensive vacations to essentially `` travel''. It's also been a great learning tool as it gives average people a chance to understand the far reaches of space, or the depths of the oceans. I just mean that, it's not the same now that traveling anywhere is out of date. I mean, airplanes do n't even fly anymore. They're ancient history''. 
 
 `` But what was so great about airplanes? ``, Rosie asked. I realized I had gotten off track, and resumed my story of air travel. 
 
 `` Right, sorry kids. Anyway, after you bought your ticket, you would head to the airport. There, you would hand in your ticket to security and be on your way to the gate. The gate was where you got on to the plane. There was usually a lot of people on planes, and the seats were usually pretty small''. 
 
 `` Grandpa, that sounds like a lot of trouble. You do n't have to do any of that with virtual reality'', Jamie said. Rosie added, `` Yeah Grandpa, that does n't sound fun at all''. 
 
 `` I'm getting to the fun part. The best part, was after takeoff. Takeoff happened after everyone sat down and buckled their seats. The captain would start the engines, and drive really fast. This would allow thrust to take the airplane into the air, and the captain would pull the wheels of the plane inside of itself. Then, the plane would fly way, way, way into the sky. Above the clouds even. When you got up there, it was a feeling unlike any other. Something that humans could not do for so long, we were able to do, fly. The amazing feeling of being thousands of feet in the air in a flying tube made of metal, was just incredible. The fact that people could do that, and it was the fastest form of travel ever possible at the time, was simply remarkable. Do you kind of understand?''. 
 
 `` Yeah, I guess'', Jamie said. `` But, virtual reality is even faster than planes. Why would you still say plane travel is better?''. 
 
 `` Simply because virtual reality is not real''. 
 
 `` But, if it looks real, and feels real, then does it matter if it's not really real? ``, Rosie said. 
 
 `` You know kids, back when I was really young, I used to enjoy visiting my grandparents too. Some of my best memories are afternoons I spent fishing with my grandfather in the summertime. I flew out to Colorado almost every year when I was in college. We would sit on the shore of the lake, fishing poles out in the water, sand in between my toes, and the cool afternoon breeze would wash over our faces as the sun set behind the mountains to the west. I understand that this can be recreated in virtual reality, but it was the fact that it was real, and that I could n't just recreate it any time I wanted to that made it so enjoyable. I knew that time was limited, and that I would have to go back to my house and wait another year before I could go fishing again. It's part of life and being human that our time is limited, and that there's only so much we can see before our time is over. I hope this made a little bit of sense to you kids''. 
 
 `` Yeah, I guess so'', Jamie said. `` Can we go fishing too 
 Grandpa? ``, `` Yeah, can we? ``, they both asked. 
 
 `` Absolutely, just give me one minute'', I said as I took the goggles off and walked over to my bookcase. I picked up a cartridge labeled `` Colorado fishing''. My head raised as I looked on the wall at a framed newspaper clipping, the headline read `` LAST FLIGHT ENDS IN TRAGEDY AS PLANE CRASHES ON RUNWAY BEFORE TAKEOFF, 2 UNACCOMPANIED MINORS STILL MISSING''. I picked up a framed picture of Rosie and Jamie, caressed the glass with my hand as a tear fell from my face. I walked over to the VR console, inserted the chip, and put the goggles on once again. 
 
 `` You kids ready? ``, `` Yeah Grandpa!''. 

