Determination

John Roebling was an engineer and also a very creative person.  He always dreamed about building a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. But bridge building experts throughout the world thought that it was impossible and asked Roebling to forget the idea. They felt that it was not a practical idea.

But Roebling could not forget his vision he had in his mind about the bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it would be done someday. 
He felt that he had to share the dream with someone else who would make his dream come true.  
After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge could be built.

The father and son started working together, developed concepts.   They discussed about the expected obstacles and how to overcome them. 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, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.
People started talking behind and in front of Washington,

"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, and one was dead and another one disabled. 
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.  But since he could not talk or move the bridge work could not be continued. 
All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it.  Suddenly an idea hit him. 
By moving his finger, 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 started again.

For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm, and 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.

The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realised with determination and persistence.