I stopped watching the news a few years back. I had reached a toxic saturation point. Let me reframe. Most news channels just offer opinion these days. I’m surrounded by many opinionated people and didn’t need to subject myself to more of that. However, now that Covid-19 is here and I’m part of the healthcare industry, I feel obligated to watch the news again. I take notes and formulate strategies. I’m exhausted by it all. Just like everyone else. For a few seconds, I may feel paralyzed and then I jumpstart myself back into the fray. I have no idea whether the decisions I’m making are the right ones. I suppose no one does at the moment.

With all that said, I can’t help but be amused as I watch the news. Many of the news channels are filling hour upon hour with interviews with a full range of experts. Some more expert than others. Because of social distancing, the interviews cannot occur on the set. They must be remote. Most of the interviewees are talking from their home offices. And lo and behold, almost uniformly they have bookcases in back of them. Most have a lot of books on their cases with well placed family photographs. Yet, we all know that books had been increasingly replaced by digital formats.

I can’t help but wonder whether some of those books were express shipped recently or dusted off and brought up from the basement. In my house, every room has a bookshelf. We have way too many books for that matter. And we keep moving them cross-country. Admittedly, however, I stopped reading them the last few years. I love books. I love the feel and the smell. I just have found myself with less and less time to read. I imagine this is true of thousands upon millions of people. And, probably true of those being interviewed on the news channels day in and day out. However, they are obviously trying to convey a particular image. Maybe expertise and being well-read will come back in vogue as a result of coronavirus. There’s always a silver streak.

As for me, I have appeared on some coronavirus expert panels that have been part of Facebook live and do forth. I did not have my bookshelf in back if me. Instead, I had very distinct artwork. I collect art. And, some in my family are artists. This, I showcased that and one of the hosts commented on my artwork. I guess I stood apart from the book people. Good to know.