Best of Miss Manners: I sip water during video conference calls ... am I making an etiquette error?

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Even before the pandemic, I worked from my home office. Most of my meetings are online.

Due to medication that I must take, I often experience thirst and dry mouth, the latter making it difficult to speak. I always have water or tea at my desk to sip during meetings.

I’ve noticed that no one else ever seems to do this. I don’t make a big show of it; I’m not chugging anything. I don’t have a large, showy beverage or bottle. It’s just about being comfortable, as perhaps someone giving a lecture might do. Am I making an etiquette error here?

GENTLE READER: Frankly, it is far more shocking that no one else in your meetings has a beverage. Large, showy water bottles are a national trend right now.

But Miss Manners sees no reason not to keep your modest one -- with the cav