"The Wright Brothers created
the single greatest cultural force
since the invention of writing.
The airplane became the first
World Wide Web, bringing people,
languages, ideas, and values together."
~~~ Bill Gates, Microsoft
I had the opportunity to recently visit the Outer Banks of
North Carolina. One of our stops was at The Wright Brothers
National Memorial at Kill Devil Hills.
The Wrights, Wilbur and Orville, were the first to design
and build a flying aircraft that could be controlled while
in the air. No one up to this point had used the three
control factors; roll, pitch, and yaw. These three
dimensions make it possible to fly from place to place.
The aerospace business depends on this simple but brilliant
idea. So do spacecraft and submarines.
This changed the way we view our world. Seen from above,
distances shrink and the horizon stretches. The world seems
grander, more vast and three-dimensional. Open to endless
possibilities.
We talk about the perseverance needed to make our niche on
the internet today. Just think of Wilbur and Orville.
Their accomplishment certainly didn't happen overnight!
Wilbur and Orville were 12 and 8 years of age, respectively,
when their father brought home a simple toy rubber
band-powered helicopter made in France. They were so
intrigued by the concept and playing with it, it broke!
Immediately, they began building copies.
They were hooked on aviation!
In 1900, as young men, having built their first glider,
they decided to try it out at Kitty Hawk on Kill Devil
Hills. It provided consistent stiff winds, and the somewhat
cushioning effects of sand and water. That first flight was
unsuccessful, but it didn't deter them.
After several more tries, on December 17, 1903, with a much
improved bi-plane, they risked their lives and threw caution
to the wind. They ended up flying the world's first powered
airplane.
(Beginning at 10:35 a.m. that day, Orville flew it about
120 feet in about 12 seconds. About 12:00 p.m., Wilbur flew
it 852 feet in 59 seconds)!
Johnny Moore, one of five men who helped them that morning
drag the contraption across the frozen sand for positioning,
ran to the village of Kitty Hawk crying, "They done it!
They done it! Damned if they ain't flew."
The birth of aviation!
At this time, Wilbur was 36 and Orville 32. Roughly 24
years had passed since their father gave them that toy!
I got to thinking as we walked around the monument (with 40
mph steady winds and pelting sand adding to the mood!) of
how they never gave up. The exhilaration they must have
felt when they realized they'd done it! Their perseverance
had paid off.
If you have a dream, work at it. If it doesn't turn out as
expected the first time, don't give up! Try again! Who
wants to live and say somewhere down the road, "if only"
or "what if?" Stick to what you want to accomplish.
Don't ever give up!
"Nothing in the world can take
the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more
common than unsuccessful men
with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius
is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is
full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone
are omnipotent."
~~~ Calvin Coolidge
About the Author
Mary Holzrichter
How to build ANY business you want, just the
way you want it, with only pocket money.
http://sitetipsandtricks.com/cgi-bin/aff/g.o/win
mailto:holzrob3@naspa.net