Analogue is the New Black

There is no question that the coronavirus has turbocharged the transition to digitalization, and the world as we have known it will not be the same. This also relates to those things we find valuable.

It has been over 30 years since I purchased a record, and in many respects, I don’t miss them. Every time I moved, it was difficult to move the entire collection. They were extremely heavy. Half of my collection always had scratches or became warped through exposure to the sun. There was something about getting a new record though. It started with opening up the cellophane that kept the record its’ cover. Then we would examine the artwork and the liner notes.

Although more common, it is seldom I buy a physical book. They are usually too bulky to tote around. I always seem to have the wrong book with me, and there is never enough room in our flat for all the books. In spite of all this, there is something special about the physical turning of the pages, the smell of old books, and the satisfaction of closing a book when finished.

Every time I visited somebody for the first time, I would rummage through their record and book collections. Oh, the joy of finding an obscure record or one of your favorite books in someone else’s collection. An immediate bond ensued. I miss these rituals!

Up till about a week ago, we were in an alone together state. We would physically be together but performed no acknowledgment of the other’s presence. Not only was there usually no talking taking place, but there was no eye contact either.

Now we are in the alone (or isolation) state and can notice suddenly a longing we have for each other. We spend more time on the telephone. The tone of the conversations has changed.

Once we all crawl out of our corona bunkers, we should hope to find and retain a new value to the physical presence of each other. Most components of our lives are fleeting, but the contact we have to each other is everlasting.