Every now and again, I run into situations that catch me totally flat-footed. They come out of the blue when you least expect them.

Today produced one of those situations.

I was at work today when a long-time friend sauntered into our service department waiting area. We greeted each other as he sat down. I asked him the question I ask all our customers, which was whether he wanted something to drink while he waited for his vehicle to be serviced.

He declined, but then dropped the bombshell right at my feet.

“I’ve been thinking about this for some time,” he said, noting that his wife “thinks I’m getting old.”

He asked me if I’d write his obituary.

I was stunned momentarily. My friend looks to be in good health. He’s elderly — just as his wife has told him — but he seems still quite fit and alert.

He walked me through his history briefly, telling me his family moved to the Texas Panhandle in the late 19th century. He grew up in Amarillo and has spent most of his life here, except for some time away on business.

“I’ve got a lot of things collected that I want to share with you,” he told me. My friend, who’s been something of a player at many levels for years in Amarillo, wants someone to tell his life story in a manner he deems fitting.

After catching my breath — given that I’d never received a request like that — I told my friend “I’d be honored to write your obituary.”

I thought about it as I finished working for the day. He’ll edit the draft. He’s certain to make changes, which of course is his prerogative. I’ll do whatever he tells me to do to tweak and polish the final text.

In my nearly 37 years in daily journalism, one of the things I learned about obituaries is that mistakes cannot be tolerated. Obituaries contain the final words that will ever be written about someone. You want to get it right, period. You take extra care to ensure that every detail — no matter how minor or seemingly trivial — is exactly right.

Writing something like this with the subject looking over my shoulder will be at once intimidating and no doubt emotionally wrenching.

I’m ready for this most unexpected challenge. My hope is that my friend lives long past the time we put a wrap on it.