In 1883, a creative engineer
named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge
connecting New York with the Long
Island . However bridge building experts throughout the world
thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea.
It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.
Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He
thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be
done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion
and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming
engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built. Working together for the
first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be
accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and
inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their
crew and began to build their dream bridge.
The project started well, but
when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the
life of John Roebling. Washington
was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in
him not being able to walk or talk or even move. “We told them so.” “Crazy men
and their crazy dreams.” “It’s foolish to chase wild visions.” Everyone had a
negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the
Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite
of his handicap Washington was
never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his
mind was still as sharp as ever. He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm
to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task. As he lay on his bed
in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle
breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the
tops of the trees outside for just a moment. It seemed that there was a
message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was
move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he
slowly developed a code of communication with his wife. He touched his wife’s arm with
that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again.
Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to
do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.
For 13 years Washington
tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife’s arm, until the bridge
was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn
Bridge stands in all its glory as a
tribute to the triumph of one man’s indomitable spirit and his determination
not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a
tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who
was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to
the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the
messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do. Perhaps this is one
of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical
handicap and achieves an impossible goal. Often when we face obstacles in our
day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others
have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge
shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realized with determination
and persistence, no matter what the odds are.
Even the most distant dream can be
realized with determination and persistence.
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