Tuning the Dial

I stepped across the polished walnut console and approached the side panel of a compact desktop radio. Reaching up with both hands, I gripped the knurled edge of the analog tuning thumbwheel. I applied a fraction of a millimeter of rotational torque. The white noise softened immediately, replaced by the clean resonance of a sustained acoustic guitar tone. Inside the display window, the slender orange needle settled cleanly over the 94.7 mark. I leaned forward and pressed both palms against the fabric speaker mesh, logging the steady rhythm of low-frequency vibrations as they pulsed quietly against my joints.