Journal 6 by Matthew Elswick

 The thing that stands out to me the most about Tocco is the amount of time he has been in boxing. When he talks about his gym it is described as bare bones. He said that it is incentive for boxers to get good and get out of there, but he is there every single day. His gym isn't the most hospitable place to be, but it holds a certain importance for people who are dedicated to their sport. The theme that stands out the most, to me, is commitment. This story, much like every other story in the book, is related to every day life. These people are notable because they take their interests that much further. Tocco isn't interested in becoming the next great champion boxer, but understands that he can provide a service to those who wish to take their sport seriously. He offers them a place where they can focus on that without distraction. In the end, raw talent or natural ability takes a back seat to discipline and dedication any day of the week. He lists greats who have trained at his gym. Those people were great because they were dedicated. I'm sure they had no small measure of natural talent, but that would have been wasted without the separation from distraction.

The dedication or obsession that some of these people had really stood out to me. Bishop castle was particularly impressive. Jim Bishop wanted to share it with everyone, but mostly he did it for himself. The vast majority of the people featured didn't seem like they were too hung up on what other people thought of them. They knew who they were and who they wanted to be. I would say that dedication and individualism stood out to me the most throughout Holding On. It's important to do what matters to you and do it well as opposed to measuring yourself against someone else. As long as what you're doing makes you happy, little else is of concern.