"Perseverance the Way to Glory..."!!!

Years ago a hardworking man took his family from New York State to Australia to take advantage of a work opportunity there. This man had a handsome young son who wanted to join the circus as a trapeze artist or an actor. This young fellow, biding his time until a circus job or even one as a stagehand came along, worked at the local shipyards that bordered on the worst section of town. Walking home from work one evening, this young man was attacked by five thugs who wanted to rob him. Instead of just giving up his money, the young fellow resisted. However they bested him easily and proceeded to beat him to a pulp. They mashed his face with their boots, and kicked and beat his body brutally with clubs, leaving him for dead. When the police happened to find him lying on the road they assumed he was dead and called for the Morgue Wagon. On the way to the morgue, a policeman heard him gasp for air, and they immediately took him to the emergency unit at the hospital. When he was placed on a gurney a nurse remarked to her horror, that this young man no longer had a face. Each eye socket was smashed, his skull, legs, and arms fractured, his nose literally hanging from his face, all his teeth were gone, and his jaw was almost completely torn from his skull. Although his life was spared, he spent over a year in the hospital. When he finally left, his body may have healed but his face was disgusting to look at. He was no longer the handsome youth that everyone admired. When the young man started to look for work again, he was turned down by everyone just on account of the way he looked. One potential employer suggested to him that he join the freak show at the circus as The Man Who Had No Face. And he did this for a while. He was still rejected by everyone and no one wanted to be seen in his company. He had thoughts of suicide. This went on for five years.

One day he passed a church and sought some solace there. Entering the church he encountered a priest who had seen him sobbing while kneeling in a pew. The priest took pity on him and took him to the rectory where they talked at length. The priest was impressed with him to such a degree that he said that he would do everything possible for him that could be done to restore his dignity and life, if the young man would promise to be the best human being he could be, and trust in God's mercy. The priest, through his personal contacts, was able to secure the services of the best plastic surgeon in Australia. There would be no cost to the young man, as the doctor was the priest's best friend. The doctor too was so impressed by the young man, whose outlook now on life, even though he had experienced the worst was filled with good humor and love. The surgery was a miraculous success. All the best dental work was also done for him. He then went on to make a successful career in the field of his choice.


The young man was and is . . . . . . . . . . Mel Gibson. His life was the inspiration for his production of the movie "The Man Without A Face."


Oftentimes, we face seemingly insurmountable obstacles that we almost give up. Lives of successful people tell us that where others would have given up, they persisted in the face of adversity...only to emerge successful.


Many a feat has been achieved by sheer perseverance and the 'never-say-die' spirit'.


To encounter obstacles is but natural, to overcome them is human. If obstacles had not been overcome, the human race would have still remained in the confines of wild jungles.


Don't be frightened by obstacles for you are destined to overcome them.