I was honored to meet with Around the World Honoree, Legendary Former 49ers Coach Bill Walsh today. His commitment to the Around the World in a Single Stroke project has been unwavering. One of the very first people I told about my vision, he believed in it from the beginning. He encouraged me to realize the dream, stick to my game plan and execute. In our many conversations criss-crossing the American sports and cultural landscape, I have been enriched by his insights and way of approaching just about anything.

I will particularly treasure my time with Bill Walsh today. I had the opportunity to show him the original painting Enso 2007 and listen to his remarkable and profound responses. He touched his white hair then looked very reflective. “Your brush stroke represents the road through the season. When the stroke begins---that’s like the beginning of the season when you are energized, hopeful, self assured…your stroke shows the route is not perfectly symmetrical. There are disappointments. There are successes. But you sustain yourself, and it does come full circle.” I was deeply touched because I wanted to convey the feeling of “the journey,” and the complex textures inevitably a part of it. As Coach Walsh swept his hand in a circle lightly brushing the edge of the Enso I could feel the grandeur of so many seasons going by compressed into this moment.

I talked about note endings and the endings of brush strokes---how great poise is required at the end of a musical phrase when one has the least air and potentially the more difficult part of the passage--and how a different kind of poise is required at the end of a brush stroke vs. the beginning because there is less ink and the variables of the brush are continually in flux. He said I know exactly what you mean, “Poise, presence, focus, having as much energy at the end, as you do at the start, and that’s where teams falter.” Then he pointed at a metaphorical time as expressed in the progression of the brush stroke---“Right about here, is where teams give up hope. But your stroke continues---just like those players who are energized. There are always degrees of focus and commitment. When you get weary that’s when you need the best leadership. You see, some will always fade.”

We talked about the quality of the ink, the choice of the shading and depth of ink and the character of a team, the leadership within a team. “Certain players never give up…And there are other players who can get caught up in that.”

As someone who is known for his breadth of knowledge about wine, Bill was very pleased with the magum of exquisite Au Bon Climat Around the World Pinot Noir and the story of the wine. He especially appreciated this special production, and the finesse and grace of this wine.