KWMR and the Pencil Sharpener August 31, 2013

I was already of big fan of KWMR before the pencil sharpener came on the scene.  At Almost Pi, I am off the grid of communication mostly by intention – no phone, no internet, no TV – and a bit by serendipity – no cellphone service, yet I never feel lonely because KWMR is always with me.  I owe my avidity to my sister Mary and her husband who, troubled over the prospect of Pi’s isolation during an earthquake, presented me one Christmas with a bright red, hand-crank LLBean radio.  Now, on Saturday nights when I’m cooking after a long hike, I’m at Rick’s Jazz Café; while gardening on Sunday mornings, I’m in the cathedral of Sacred Music; other times I’m slipping imaginary coins into the Silver Dollar Jukebox or relaxing in the speakeasy of Happy Days.  KWMR’s kaleidoscope of music connects me to its broadcast booth, only a ten-minute walk away, and I can almost feel the pull of its electromagnetism over the quiet pasture.

Several months ago, the KWMR weekly e-letter sported a drawing of a pencil sharpener and soon thereafter, another e-letter posted the question – I paraphrase – “What is it with the pencil sharpener, anyway?”  “Indeed!” I wondered.  

Apparently, the station staff, after some debate, decided to mount its new pencil sharpener on a post supporting the covered landing just outside their office.  An ardent user of the wooden-clad graphite myself, I gathered up all my stubby pencils and headed down to Mesa Street to give the sharpener a whirl.  The manual X-ACTO, much like the one my dad had down in his basement shop, shaved beautiful points.  There was also a little bucket of brand new, bright yellow Dixon Ticonderogas, stamped with “KWMR” in red letters, for the taking, and I added one to my collection.  Now, I look forward to my weekly sharpening outings, and soon, I’ll get up the gumption to knock on the door and say, “Thank you.”  Or maybe even, “Can I volunteer here?”