On a whim

Link: Smith Mansion in Wyoming in the NY Times

The article is about a father who built this fantastical dream house for his kids on his own over a dozen years. He navigated the structure without a ladder and fell many times during its construction, and it was only later discovered that he never worked with a blueprint. He then fell to his death climbing the pagoda like roof on one of his frequent visits. It's a bittersweet story- since he had been so consumed with the construction of this house, his wife divorced him, took the kids and he eventually lost his life to his own creation. The joyful memories that his daughter had of running up and down its undulating staircases and peering over umpteen balconies were overshadowed by the dark ones from her father's death, and her brother's death, who drowned in a nearby river. The structure is starting to fall apart and the whimsy that it once conveyed is gone.

Although not in line with all the inspirational themes of the other entries, sometimes great things have sad stories.

To Build a Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge that spans the river tying Manhattan Island to Brooklyn is truly a miracle bridge. In 1863, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea for this spectacular bridge. However, bridge-building experts throughout the world told him to forget it; it could not be done.

Roebling convinced his son, Washington, who was a young upand coming engineer, that the bridge could be built. The two of them developed the concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With un harnessed excitement and inspiration, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.

The project was only a few months under construction when a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling and severely injured his son, Washington. Washington was left with permanent brain damage and was unable to talk or walk. Everyone felt that the project would have to be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built.

Even though Washington was unable to move or talk, his mind was as sharp as ever, and he still had a burning desire to complete the bridge. An idea hit him as he lay in his hospital bed, and he developed a code for communication. All he could move was one finger, so he touched the arm of his wife with that finger, tapping out the code to communicate to her what to tell the engineers who were building the bridge. For thirteen years, Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger until the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge was finally completed.




I recently came across this story and was so inspired by it. It made me realize just how strong and resilient human beings are capable of being; and that even under the worst of circumstances, there is an answer as long you have a vision and believe in yourself. It always amazes me how people handle their emotions and obstacles, and inspires me when I hear or read stories like this that show the courage, hope,and hard work it sometimes takes to reach an accomplishment. History is filled with people who have taken a heart-wrenching situation and in a creative way paved a new ending to their story. I will always be inspired by the Brooklyn Bridge after reading this story. It symbolizes the strength and spirit it takes to cross life's many boundaries.