How much more can you bluff?

"Bluffing" by Gail Helgason is a short story that makes you think about self-worth and the people around you and self-perception. Liam is in the hospital after the accident. Why? Because he didn't respect Gabriella and her profession enough to listen to her.

They've been hiking together before at Pyramid Bench. She taught him how to look for wildlife, even though he normally doesn't willingly learn from people who have more knowledge or experience than him. During their hike to Jasper Lake, they pass by other tourists that were also heading there. He bluffed and said that they were gonna head back down because the lake has grizzly bears. This news scares the young tourists so they head back down, but Gabriella and Liam continue their walk. Once they arrived, Gabriella wanted to talk about the rent of the house that they both live in. She needs to make sure that Liam is committed to continue living with her and help pay the rent since she can't afford to pay and sign the contract for a year by herself. However, Liam crushed that hope when he says that he plans to go on an expedition with Clive for 3 months. Angry, confused and hurt, she storms off alone with Liam chasing behind her. Once they reach an opening, they realized that there was a grizzly bear carefully assessing and watching them. She told Liam to bluff the bear, to back away slowly. He turned around and ran full speed away from the grizzly. The bear decided to chase after Liam, but Gabriella thought it was going to attack her so she curled into a ball and to protect her vital organs. She knew what to do to protect herself. She told Liam what to do and he didn't listen. He didn't care. He was only thinking for himself.

The moment he wakes up, he didn't even ask Gabriella if she's alright; he criticized her for not being by his side the entire time. He then bluffs about his actions, saying that he sacrificed his life for her so the bear wouldn't attack her. As her boyfriend, he needed to sound heroic and daring. But in reality, he doesn't care about their relationship. He only cares about himself and his expedition trips. He doesn't deserve a girlfriend that's that responsible. Gabriella, on the other hand, is clearly stupid for letting Liam control her feelings and for allowing herself to still be with him when she knows that he did not run away as a distraction tactic. He left her alone with a grizzly bear. He does not care about her. She knows this; yet she chose to still be with him despite all the bluffing between them.

If I was Gabriella, I would've dumped his sorry ass a long time ago. I mean, how low of a self-esteem and self-worth must you have in order for you to put up with a lying coward for so long? Gabriella doesn't see how she'd be better off without Liam. The people you hang out with does create an impact and, to a certain extent, influence you somehow. Gabriella is still Gabriella, but Liam's bluffing habits are starting to show in her. And worse yet, she's letting the changes occur, knowing that Liam is no good. Liam sees himself as a really fantastic hiker that knows everything and is better than everyone. She needs to see herself as a strong individual that can kick Liam's ass goodbye.

#bluff #selfworth