Distractions…

As I mentioned last time, I try to limit my TV viewing time… but I have to confess it’s been fascinating to see how some shows have been adapting to the stay-at-home orders. Which women are letting their hair coloring fade back to a natural color? Which men are able to tame longer locks?

Those sorts of thoughts can really distract me from the news they’re imparting (which is about all we watch on TV these days).

But what’s even more distracting are those bookshelves in the background.

You’ve seen them. Newscasters or experts reporting from home, sitting in their home offices or libraries or living rooms, a bookcase behind them to set the stage.

I love seeing all the books, no doubt about it.

I’ve been known to peruse shelves in the houses of people I’ve visited. When I found myself some years ago at a gathering of fellow high school graduates (a group I’d never hung around with back then), I found myself pulling books from a shelf, commenting to a fellow snoop, “Well, he didn’t like this one, the bookmark is toward the beginning.” That started a full review of the collection: which books seemed to have been finished, which looked untouched, and which ones were dog-eared with pages falling out–the beloved re-reads.

But when these folks on TV angle their cameras to show their own bookshelves, I’m completely distracted. Instead of hearing what they’re saying, I’m squinting at the screen (our reception isn’t always good in these RV parks), trying to read the titles on the spines.

So while the PBS Newshour airs, I’m working on this post, listening rather that watching so I won’t be tempted to translated titles on my screen. It’s enough to know Judy Woodruff has a copy of “Grant” behind her every night.