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 also injured and left with a certain
amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to talk or walk.
"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.
Maybe this is one of the best examples of strong will.It made me look at my life from the other side and make some inferences.We,as human beings,have unlimited storage of mental strength,we can overcome any difficulty if we have a DREAM.It may sound repeatitive and banal,but there is nothing impossible in this world. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realised with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.
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