My 12-year-old neighbor was telling me about his visit to his best friend's house. The trip was extra special because it required a plane ride from Chicago to New Jersey. And he made the flight solo. No parent or relative flew with him.

I've made this same trip hundreds of times, but Erick didn't know that, so he graciously gave me all the details of air transportation. I began to look at flying, something I do all too often, in a new and exciting way. I viewed it through 12-year-old eyes—the window seat, beverage service, passenger conversation, fluffy clouds, runway lights, friendly flight attendants, and best friends greeting you on the ground.

Erick's best friend's family took him to see the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, United Nations, and all the other traditional New York City tourist spots. Because I grew up in northern New Jersey, these were familiar to me, and again taken for granted. Most were on my dad's tour route for relatives visiting from Scotland. But ...