Setting the Standard

I noticed an old brass metronome resting idle on the low timber shelf, its swinging arm pinned shut under a brass latch. Discipline requires cadence, not silence. I approached the triangular wooden casing, stepped onto the base, and wedged my thumb against the clasp. With a firm, measured click, the spring released. I set the small sliding weight to a brisk tempo, nudged the steel wand to the left, and let go. The rhythmic, unyielding tick-tock immediately filled the empty air, establishing an absolute tempo for the day ahead.