A little solar-powered radio

Last week, the power cut out for a solid three or four hours. It was dusk, and the house settled into that kind of cozy quiet that only happens when everything goes still. Out came the candles and a few blankets by the fireplace. At some point, we dug out this little solar-powered AM/FM radio I’d picked up years ago—hadn’t thought much about it until then. We turned it on, tuning through static until a station started coming through, playing those familiar old songs that seem to belong to evenings like that.

It struck me, as we sat there with the soft crackle of the radio filling the room, how these simple things have a way of grounding us when everything else stops. Just being there, listening together, reminded me of something.

In business, too, we’re often caught up in all the latest, most 'advanced' ways of doing things, but when it comes down to it, it’s those basic, thoughtful touches—those small, unassuming things—that matter most when people really need us.

Sometimes it’s as simple as writing a note by hand, picking up the phone just to check in, or taking the time to respond to an email ourselves. Because, like that little radio, it’s those personal connections that people remember and return to when things feel uncertain.

Technology will always have a role, and I’m grateful for it, but let’s make sure it doesn’t replace the simple, human ways we show up for each other.

Just as a small town values a good reputation, the digital world remembers a business that treats people as people. Sometimes, all it takes is a little light and an old radio to remind us what really matters and who we really are.

Cheers for now,