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. Only his son, Washington, believed it.
Working together for the first time, the father and son team 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.
Only a few months into the project 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.” The condemnation from other engineers was deafening.
In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge. 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 (here pictured) 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, an impossible technical attitude, an unforgiving bureaucracy to achieve an impossible goal.
Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very impossible in comparison to what many others have to face. Yet the truth is that your personal obstacles are just tiny compared to what others are going through. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realised with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.
If the Brooklyn bridge could be built, there is nothing broken in your organization, your family, your life that cannot be fixed by focused teamwork and determination. Don’t despair! Don’t Stop! It can be done so let’s get it done!
OUR GUINNESS WORLD RECORD BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT IS A TASK THAT MUST BE DONE AND WE MUST WIN TO MAKE ALL OUR CRITICS OUR DISCIPLES. WE MUST WIN.
Bash Ali.
