Every Step, A Choice

An afternoon of stories, service, and perspective at Pebble Beach.

Beyond the gold lettered welcome to Pebble Beach, November sunlight filtered through the branches of the coastal pines. Arriving at Fairway One on November 10, I found a room overlooking an immaculate sweep of green: white linen, polished silver, small vases of white flowers, and a handwritten place card bearing my name. Soon, I would be sharing photographs from five months on the Pacific Crest Trail.

First, there was lunch and the pleasure of joining a gathering with a history of its own.

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Known simply as The Group, this fellowship of 50 men has been meeting for more than 90 years, over 60 of them at The Lodge at Pebble Beach. Member Robert Kramer had first heard me share my story at Edi Matsumoto's Gallery in Carmel by the Sea and helped introduce me to The Group. At the invitation of its president, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel John C. Scherer, I joined members whose lives have encompassed military service, medicine, law, business, and Silicon Valley.

Their stories reach well beyond the Peninsula. Member Lieutenant General Eric Wendt, U.S. Army, retired, recently became U.S. Ambassador to Albania. Another, Dr. Alfred Sadler, coauthored (P)Luck with his twin brother, Blair, chronicling their work helping transform emergency medical services and establish the physician assistant profession. Their contributions offered a glimpse of the experience gathered within this room.

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Lunch unfolded in autumnal colors: mushroom soup ribboned with sherry cream; salmon seared with lemon and fennel pollen over saffron vegetable risotto, with romesco and hot honey roasted delicata squash. A cinnamon apple tart, almond frangipane, and vanilla anglaise brought a gentle sweetness to the table. Between courses, conversation carried the afternoon forward, making space for updates, familiar stories, and new introductions.

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Gathering on the eve of Veterans Day gave the invitation particular meaning. When I stood to speak, I began by thanking the military members for their service. It was an honor to share my journey with men whose own paths had asked so much of them, and whose commitment to others continued to shape the fellowship around me.

Then the photographs carried us elsewhere: into the desert heat, beneath the granite peaks of the Sierra, and through Northern California toward Oregon. Across 1,712 miles, I had learned to listen more closely to my body, to the landscape, and to the people walking beside me.

I shared the uncertainty that preceded my first step. Having never backpacked before, I arrived with new equipment, plenty of questions, and a feeling that walking might help me discover what came next. The trail soon made those questions immediate: where to find water, when to rest, whom to trust, and how to recognize the difference between determination and pushing beyond my limits.

I spoke about Wei, whom I met on my fourth day, and the choice to slow down together. That decision changed the journey. There were mountain lakes worth lingering beside, deer outside the tent, and evenings beneath a sky bright enough to walk by. Near Tahoe, an unexpected reunion with the mentor who had helped prepare me for the trail became another reminder of what a particular pace can make possible.

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Running through it all was one understanding: every step is a choice. Our pace shapes what we notice, whom we meet, and what we carry forward. The questions from the room brought us into conversation, allowing the photographs to become starting points for stories shared between us.

Looking around, I felt inspired by every person before me. Here were men whose choices, through service, care, leadership, and invention, had reached into other lives and across generations. Speaking about the direction of my own life in their company gave that idea a greater depth. A step taken today can continue to matter long after we have moved beyond it.

Their monthly gathering felt like a continuation of that work. Coming together over lunch, sharing updates, and taking an interest in one another allows experience to remain active. Stories find listeners. Ideas find encouragement. Members find support for whatever comes next. There was something deeply hopeful in a tradition that continues to make room for curiosity.

Each member received a copy of The Carmel Guide, a small expression of thanks and a continuation of my own story. The conversations I cherished on the trail had inspired me to seek the same connection closer to home, through the artists, makers, and independent businesses whose lives fill its pages.

I left Fairway One grateful for the invitation and for the reminder that the future is collaborative. Gathering is essential to it. Around a table, on a trail, or through a shared story, we help one another see what is possible and find the encouragement to take the next step.