Henderson 1Colt HendersonProfessor Annie WoodfordEnglish 1113 November 2020“Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude” and the Worthiness of Real LifeReality is a construct of the human intellect that is used to title real life. Ross Gay’s,“Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude,” acknowledges the importance of appreciation for reality, bothgood and bad. While conversing about this specific poem during a podcast published byOnBeingwith Krista Tippett, Gay said, “It is not at all puzzling to me that joy is possible in themidst of difficulty” (00:01:15-00:01:19). Listening to Ross Gay ecstatically read the poemhimself and subsequently hearing him discuss the basis of his work in the podcast, I was filledwith inspiration. This work of literature effectively proposes a spirited connection between mypersonal and cultural realities through the application of gratitude and joy. The poet’sinsightfulness and dynamic energy expressed throughout this work of art gives me a sense ofhope because it emphasizes the goodness of the real world in which we live. Even in our darkestsituations and on our most ordinary days, there is always something we can strive to appreciatemore.In, “Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude,” Gay continually says, “And thankyou, too,”announcing his love for the things people commonly take for granted in life (Gay 100). I am ableto connect with this poem because it uses circumstances that I understand. I took a genuineemotional journey when he wrote:and thank youfor not taking my pal when the engine
