"The Long Signal" by Steve Adams

The Long Signal

As a Freshman in 1984, I sat in a cramped college radio booth, surrounded by all the things that made the station purr. Then, my signal was measured in watts and wavelengths. I obsessed over modulation and standing waves, making sure our reach extended just a few more miles into the community.

I left broadcasting in 1988, trading the transmitter for a career in global engineering. I spent decades solving challenges—from 3d printing concrete to the logistics of Wireless mics in Nepal. But a funny thing happens when you step away from the signal for forty years. You realize the watts and wavelengths were just the delivery system. The real signal is the human story.

Today, the turntables are gone, but I realize I’m still an engineer. Only now, I’m not tuning a transmitter; I’m tuning into the frequency of the human heart. It’s been a wonderful journey from 1984... but the real joy is sharing that long signal with you today.

‍