Determination and Persistence 19 comments
This is a real life story of engineer John Roebling building the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, USA back in 1870. The bridge was completed in 1883, after 13 years.
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.
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.
19 Responses to: Determination and Persistence
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Lesley Toche -- 6 Dec 09 at 4:02 pm
Wow! Absolutely impressive. It’s amazing to accomplish certain things that would be considered impossible by most regardless of the fact that plenty has been done in the light of peer opposition. Humans are capable of achieving success under circumstances that are rougher than we could finitely imagine. I had no idea by looking at the Brooklyn bridge, that it was built through such an amazing and inspiring story. We truly never know what we’re capable of until we endeavor exhibition.
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Pavan -- 7 Jan 10 at 3:36 am
It is a very great achievement …extraordinary.
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gkaruna -- 14 Jan 10 at 11:18 am
No words to say anything but everyone should know about this site. It is making me strong and strong
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Satish Reddy -- 15 Jan 10 at 4:50 am
Really it was an amazing story. People who sees this will definitely think of what to do in such sort of situations and will be bold enough with to move ahead with confidence.
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sowmya -- 23 Feb 10 at 9:17 am
Excellent, inspiring mind-blowing story. Thanks for providing such kind of real stories in this site. You are making them open to people. Hope you collect more such live stories in this site.
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Zogu i trembur -- 25 Feb 10 at 2:16 pm
Inspiring story! When I read this, I felt shamefully weak of almost giving up for not finding a job. I’ll continue…
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Hellen -- 12 Apr 10 at 12:26 pm
This is a very inspiring story coz if it were me am sure i would have given up,but thanx 4 this article am sure to be positive at all times
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saurabh wani -- 14 Apr 10 at 12:15 am
very very inspirational story. must read it!!! really determination and persistence can to us to incredible heights……..all u need is passion and zeal towards any work…….:-)
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Prakash -- 1 May 10 at 2:23 am
very close to heart. Great….:)
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Afolabi Olalekan -- 6 May 10 at 1:41 pm
This is awesome, determination and persistence can defeat any opposition… thanks for the story!
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vishakha -- 21 May 10 at 9:56 pm
Nice awesome story. Most of us give up soon but here in the story he and his wife never give up, up to 13yrs it was awesome. We all knows this type of story but still many times our problems make us blind and forget this inspirational movement so that to such stories who always work in keeping burning the fire in hearts not to give up at all till u r in world.
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chandrashekhar n chintalwar -- 28 May 10 at 1:14 pm
this is called a burning desire
fly if cant then run if u cant then walk if u cant then scroll
but dont stop just movemobility is the progress and construction
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Monica Ravisankar -- 30 Jun 10 at 4:03 pm
Really great !!
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Anna -- 26 Jul 10 at 6:45 pm
u can get nothing without having a desire to achieve..if i dnt want a glass of water i will never put any efforts towards reaching it..so all you need is a desire. its a small word with a big meaning…A grand salute to John Roebling &his son…and his wife…For the great Job Done…its very very interesting fact!!!
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sandeep -- 2 Aug 10 at 8:40 am
It is a very inpirational story to motivate the learner
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bella -- 5 Aug 10 at 10:10 am
wow ……13 years ……. it gives a great deal to think about. i’m using this in a speech competition i’m pretty sure it’s a winner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Yean Thoong -- 7 Aug 10 at 7:31 am
Nothing is Impossible~ ^ ^
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anuj banka -- 14 Aug 10 at 12:57 am
It was great and heart touching story, teaching a lesson, if you have a spirit of doing something you can do it in any way either losing life or gaining the knowledge
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Utkarsh -- 22 Aug 10 at 6:06 am
Great Perseverance!