One moment I was standing upright, reasonably confident in my ability to walk down three short concrete steps to the parking lot where my car awaited. The next moment I was falling through space, landing on the cement-encrusted blacktop with my hands outstretched before me to break my unexpectedly sudden descent.

I got to my feet slowly, more upset than hurt. My right hand was scraped in three places and blood was starting to ooze from the broken skin. My right elbow and right knee throbbed in pain --- but mostly it was my pride that had taken the worst punishment.

When I fell, I dropped some papers, which were now blowing across the asphalt, driven by a gust of wind I hadn't noticed before. As I gathered them up and lowered myself onto the front seat of the car, I wondered how I had missed that last step.

I began the drive to my next customer who was only a few minutes away. I was sure he would have a first aid kit and I was eager to wash my wounds and put Band-Aids on them.

Gail will scold me tonight when I tell her what happened. "My god, you could have broken your head," she'll probably say. Then she'll tell me to be more careful.

It seems like I spend more and more time these days trying to be careful, with less and less success. When I was younger I didn't have to think about how to put one foot in front of the other. It just sort of happened without my paying much attention.

But life has a way of sneaking up on you, especially if you're not paying close attention. One moment I was standing upright, the next I was falling on my face. Gail says there are people who can walk and chew gum at the same time. I wonder how they do it.