It was my friend’s birthday. I wanted to do something unique and original, some type of an adventure. I wanted to do something different than the usual birthday dinner.
So, I put on my thinking cap and came up with a plan to surprise him with a Virtual Reality Experience. It was something I had never done, and I was pretty confident he would never guess. He even bragged to me that he always figured out surprises. I hoped I could keep this secret for a couple of weeks.
The day of our adventure, I picked him up about a half hour before our scheduled time. I told him no clues were allowed. I’m sure he was trying to figure out the surprise with every turn. He was working hard at it, but I knew he wouldn’t be able to figure it out if he didn’t even know what it was, which I was 90% sure was the case.
When we turned into the parking lot, he still didn’t have a clue. He was looking around with a funny, confused expression on his face. When he read the sign above the business, “Virtual Reality”, he kind of got it, but not really.
I can only imagine his apprehension as we walked in the door. He gets serious points for being a good sport. We walked in and were greeted by Gavin, the youngish employee. I had the advantage of knowing what to expect when we arrived. When I made our reservations a week earlier, Gavin and his coworker Ben had helped me out. They thought it was “cool” that the “older” people would check out the experience. It wasn’t busy that day, so they explained how it all worked, and then Ben did a demonstration while I watched. They were so great.
Gavin got us set up and helped us choose a game that would be challenging and yet not too difficult. At one point, Gavin also jumped on the game and helped us protect our castle, the game’s mission. We were shooting arrows from towers and fighting the giants coming in by boats. We fought the giants for about an hour before we tried another game. It was a lot of fun.
For me, the most interesting part of the game was how easy it was to lose yourself in the fantasy of it all.
We also tried a “zombie” game for a few minutes. But I couldn’t handle it. The setting was similar to an open courtyard. Through the headset, we were standing on opposite sides. I could see my partner, and he could see me. Once the game launched, the Zombies came out of everywhere toward us. I knew perfectly well these creatures attacking me were not real, but I genuinely was freaked out. I was actually talking to them and telling them to get away from me. I started kicking and swatting at them and finally covered my face as they “attached” me. I got so freaked out that my partner was shooting at the zombies attacking me, not him. I quickly realized I felt much safer fighting from the virtual towers than fighting on the virtual ground. Hilarious.
Gavin should have recorded that one on video. It would have been a money maker.
When we had about five minutes left, I asked if we could do something calm and peaceful for our last few minutes, which we did. I felt like I needed something to calm me down before we left. Full disclosure here, I actually had nightmares of Zombies that night.
We hear about looking at life through rose-colored glasses. Well, this was quite the opposite. I knew perfectly well what I saw through that headset was not reality. I knew I was not in any real danger. Yet, I reacted as if I were, physically, emotionally, and mentally. I believed the deception, if even for a few minutes.
The lies we are told, not only by others but also the lies we tell ourselves, can deeply affect our reactions. Maybe we hear we’re not good enough or that we are selfish. Perhaps we hear we’re not attractive or unlovable. It makes me wonder what other hurtful lies we’re listening to that simply are not true.
What monsters are you fighting today that actually can’t hurt you? And how are those lies affecting the choices you make? I say, take off the headset and chase the monsters away.
Wishing you joy and peace,
Lorrie
Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. Proverbs 12:19
For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Luke 8:17