On the way out of my apartment complex earlier this evening, I watched as an older gentlemen in white, mid-calf socks (you know, the socks your Dad wore when you were growing up) and a straw fedora (along with his other clothes, thank goodness) rode a skateboard down the hill next to me and successfully turned left to continue along the drive.

My immediate thought was filled with disdain. As in, “Oh seriously, man, why don’t you act your age. I am NOT impressed!” I’m not ageist but who thinks of skateboarding as an older gentleman’s activity? (I would guess this gentleman to be in his mid to late 50’s.) And another thing – I have a serious issue with the many people in the complex who lack an appropriate respect for the automobile, consistently walking down the middle of the road or letting their children play there. So upon seeing this skateboarder, I thought of yet another thing I’d have to watch out for every time I drove in the complex. Ugh.

My second thought was more kind. “Good for you, man, showing us all that age doesn’t matter.” This was the 40-something person that I am, older but definitely not old, respecting someone’s effort to stay young in body as well as in heart.

Backing my car out of its parking spot and driving along behind the aforementioned gentleman (with a very suitable distance between us), I watched, horrified, as he fell while simply trying to start a new skate. (I’m sure that’s not the right lingo, but you get my drift. I am not now, nor have I ever been, a skateboarder.)

He landed hard on his back and bounced a bit off the driveway. His fedora went flying as did his glasses and the contents of his shirt pocket. To his credit, he immediately got up and began picking up his belongings while grabbing his board to move it out of the middle of the drive.

I thought about asking him if he was okay, but he was so obviously working to avoid eye contact, to maintain a shred of his dignity, that I didn’t have the heart to shatter his battered pride.

It struck me, though, how quickly things can change. You don’t ever know, do you? One minute the man was skating relatively smoothly down the hill and the next moment he was flat on his back after a rough fall. But he picked himself up, dusted himself off and got back on the board.

A microcosm of life if ever there was one. Things can be going so well and in a heartbeat it changes, often when you least expect it. But you just gotta pick yourself up and get back on the board. Living life, not knowing what happens next, taking the good along with the bad, that’s life. And it’s good.