The man held the radio in his hands and wondered what it would speak or sing if it had power? He’d kept it boxed in original packing. Now and again he’d take it out of his closet to read what it was capable of. The box print said it had traditional AM and FM reception and also was equipped to receive HD Satellite digital signals. Playing with the dials, he turned it over, removing the back plate to look at the empty battery slots.
When he’d first received this gift, a circle of friends had looks of awe on their faces. He thought he’d seen admiration and longing in their eyes, but quickly learned he was mistaken. Each of them began to voice concern at the negative impact such a gift would have. The batteries needed for power were a bad idea which would destroy the environment. Any signal received would probably speak or sing of ways to deceive him. The man was hurt he couldn’t use his gift but trusted his friends were only trying to protect him. With regret, he packaged up this gift once more to put it away.