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."
"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 realised 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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