Take a PASSION, make it Happen

In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling and his son Washington were inspired to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with Long Island. However bridge-building experts throughout the world thought it was just not possible.

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 and crippled Washington no longer able to walk, talk or even move. 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 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 passion to excel.