Even the most distant dream can be realized with determination and persistence..
By gracetreyes
@gracetreyes (529)
Philippines
October 27, 2008 6:20am CST
This is an awesome story.hope you spend some time to read it. It's worth the time spend..
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 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 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, 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 instruction 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 we 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...
So come on cheer up..There are so many opportunities ahead of you...
1 person likes this
1 response
@BubblyIan (750)
•
27 Oct 08
That is a wonderful and touching story. it is a true motivation to anyone who dreams the impossible - like me!
My grandmother told me when I was a kid - you can achieve anything if you want it enough.
It is only now as I am much older that I realise that it is not actually true - but it helped motivate and inspire me to dream impossible dreasm from an early age.
Now I dream of a better future for everyone. Where children grow up in stable two parent families as well balanced, creative, law abiding and contributing members of society. where people are rewarded for doing the right thing rasther than punsihed for doing the wrong thing. Where benfits and tax credits reward good behaviour and make it worthwhile working and staying together rather than rewarding and encouraging families to break up and people to live on benefits for their lives.
Join me in making this dream come true at www.fnf.org.uk