I got a letter today from a reader, and it was so good that I thought it was worth sharing. It was written by a Colorado man named Peter Ismail, in response to my "Exploring vs. Figure Skating" column that just came out in the July issue. In the column, I'd discussed a conversation I'd had with astronaut Story Musgrave about his explorations and missions in space, and the difference between being a left-brained commander and a right-brained explorer.

Here's the letter:

Dear Flying, I'm glad that Lane Wallace had the pleasure of speaking to Dr. Story Musgrave, and shared the experience with your readers (July's Flying Lessons, "Exploring vs. Figure Skating"). As I read her comments about Dr. Musgrave and, in particular, the words "a far more right-brain immersion in a moment or experience," I was reminded of a remarkable encounter I experienced with this Renaissance man. I was at the Cape [at the Kennedy Space Center] for the STS-98 launch, and purely by chance I met Dr. Musgrave. He was enjoying a vanilla ice cream cone, and to this day I don't think that I've ever met another person who seemed so "in the moment" as he was with that treat. Even though it was just a plain cone, he savored every lick of it as though it was the greatest gourmet dish ever prepared. He would have a lick, then ruminate for a moment before answering a question, and then go back for another pleasurable taste. Even though, no doubt, somewhere in his mind he may have been concurrently pondering the universe's mysteries, while we were standing there it seemed like he was enjoying every moment of that simple cone, with no distractions to interrupt the pleasure. If only we all could find such focus and such simple joy in our daily endeavors!

The skill or behavior Peter was describing, which Dr. Musgrave exhibited so well, is sometimes known as "living consciously." It's something I've written about before in the pages of Flying, and something I think the act of flying a small airplane encourages more than many other activities in our daily life. It describes the attempt to be fully present in every activity we undertake, from washing our hand, to pre-flighting an airplane, to walking down the street.

To be fully present in any given moment requires full attention to the task in hand, and an effort to not just look, but see, feel, and be aware of all the sights, sensations, and events within reach of our senses. Which is to say, it's the antithesis of multi-tasking … which also means it's a skill that is becoming rarer and rarer in the world.

But as the summer flying season, with all its beauty, warmth, landscape scents and gentle breezes begins … it's worth taking a moment to consider Dr. Musgrave's approach to a simple vanilla ice cream cone. On your next flight, make an effort to be that conscious as you pre-flight. Of the feel of the metal latches as you open them, and the distinctive scent of the avgas. The unrolling of the canopy cover. The breeze and shade beneath the wings. The warmth of the summer sun, the energy in that moment of lift-off … the treasure of being alive, and in the air, with all the freedom, sights, and sensation it affords.

And just see, somewhere in the midst of that effort to be fully conscious where you are, and in everything you're doing, if you don't feel just a little bit more alive, and more appreciative of all the gifts that come with that package.