Let's Talk About Me

In my search of the "Vulture Culture" term yesterday, I was reminded that the phrase was the name of an Alan Parsons album back in the early 1980's.

Lina asked me who was playing on Spotify. I said Alan Parsons...she commented that it sounded very 1980'ish but that she liked the sound. She is actually more of a fan of the 1980's songs than I am. During the 1980's, I (D.O.B. 1963) was more attuned to 1960's songs. Some generational echo lag there. She (D.O.B. 1973) had never heard of A.P. before, though.

The stand-out song on the LP was a song called "Let's Talk About Me." The Alan Parsons Project band was one of my favorite bands back in the day. I thought their songs were lyrically intellectually interesting with a tuneful vibe. There were some bands in the 1980's who were current that I liked...U2, A.P., REM, The Call, and a few others.

The cover art pretty much illustrates visually the song and is what happens when we desire to talk about "me." We swallow and wallow in self. Seeking to become the focus, we consume and digest ourselves. As a psychologist, I have concluded one of the surest ways to be miserable is to contemplate the self from a thousand different angles. The best remedy for mental disturbance is to be attracted to an object outside of oneself as the gaze to center on. However, the danger then is that if we base ourselves on other people, we will discover that this is just a different type of appetite tyrant. The approval god, the popular god, the need to be needed god. A sure way to become broken-hearted.

Only God occupies center stage without becoming an idol. For He is holy and norms our attention and affections appropriately. He deserves worship...for He is worthy. Talk about Him and we find our appropriate place in the universe.

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