Lena – Mavis Gallant

Mavis Gallant - August 11, 1922 –

I come to a Gallant story, and I can’t say that I’m excited by it contained in the collection. It’s usually the cause of a reading speed bump for me. She doesn’t pull me through to read the story and I often set the anthology aside, dreading reading her. And you know there really isn’t a good reason for this behavior.

I think with Gallant, one has to be in the right frame of mind to accept what she has written.

I have to let my mind settle before I can deal with her.

This is the forth time I have encountered Gallant...and I am pleased with the volume editor for including her. She did her job and was a speed bump – the BASS 1984 has fallen to the side and I haven’t cracked it for some time.

I pushed through Gallant and in the end, was rewarded.

It’s hard to let go of a “love”.

I think that I have over the years developed an attitude where I am able to let go of my attachments.

I recognize the selfish nature of “keeping something”.

There are far more important things in life than ones possessions – or possessing another.

There is no reason why you can’t keep loving someone/something, but to allow them to remain under your control or for you to fail to release them – well, it’s just not worth it.

And, this attitude falls under my daily and hourly struggle for self-discipline – my struggle to fight against that which I cannot control within myself.

I feel pity for myself at times for my inability to let-go.