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				 Where, When and How Carolyn Bellue and Larry Holly met 
It was October, 1962, in a speech class at Northwestern  Stste College (Now NorthwesternState University).  Carolyn was 19 years old and I?  I was 18!   Yes, I am married to an older woman! 
We were assigned to give a speech with a visual aid --  remember, fundamentally, a visual aid is defined as something  you can see!!   On the day we remember meeting, I attended class in my usual state of  unpreparedness.  Ok, ok but there were  eight students ahead of me in the alphabet. There was NO WAY we could have nine  speeches in a single class. I was safe.  
What I forgot was that our professor -- Mr. Graham -- and  I had a love/hate relationship.  I loved  him and he hated me!!  My mistake was  that I had nothing in my possession that he could see -- remember the  definition of "visual."  With  his observation of nothing visual, he concluded correctly that I was  unprepared. Therefore, he called on me.  
Disaster!  Two  choices:  something or nothing. No matter  how inadequate something was, it was better than nothing!  So, I stood up; whereupon, Mr. Graham  straightened up as if to say, "what is he going to do?"   My last thought was a speech; I needed a  visual aid. Remember, that meant something that could be seen.  
The rules where that you could not use the  blackboard.  But, after a panicked survey  of the room the only moveable object I could "see" was a piece of  chalk. Remember, no blackboard. As I quickly picked up the chalk, I turned to  the class. Mr. Graham had his Hand up to tell me that I could not use the  blackboard.  
Before he could speak, I took three quick steps to the  front of the class and ceremoniously tossed the chalk into the air. I had a  visual aid, everyone saw it!!  Now, all I  needed was a speech.   
As the chalked crumbled and rolled across the floor, I  asked, "What made that chalk hit the floor?"  I answered my own question, "You think  it was gravity, but it really was 'the little green people.'"  I continued, "they live in the air and  they are cleaning their home." I of course discovered one in my  pocket      I explained that those who  did not believe could not see them.  
After a fifteen minute speech, I sat down. After the  class, we were given Mr. Graham's assessment. I had an A- with a question mark  beside it. I asked why the question mark?   He affirmed that it was an excellent speech but he wanted to know when I  prepared it. I shrugged and walked out of the class  room. Carolyn remembers the story just like  this. But, the story is not over.  
Three weeks later, we were to give an extemporaneous  speech --  you stood in the front of the  class; Mr. Graham gave you a topic and off the top of your head, you had to  give a speech on that topic. You may recognize, as Mr. Graham suspected, that I  had already done that.  
Mr. Graham gave the the topic of "the alarm  clock." Before "-ock" was out of his mouth, I said, "In  1786, in Philadelphia, Pennslyvania, John Smith conceived of combining an  alarming device with a timing device to create the first alarm clock."  Mr. Graham interrupted me and said, "  Stop, Stop, Stop.  You know too much  about alarm clocks!"   I started  laughing and he said, "You made all that up?"  I nodded and the redness of his face  reflected both his blood pressure and his furry.   
That is where and when I met my wife, 54 years ago. 
James L. Holly, M.D. 
  Former CEO, SETMA 
  Jholly@jameslhollymd.com 
www.jameslhollymd.com 
409 504-4517 
Adjunct Professor 
Department of Family and Community Medicine UT  Health San Antonio Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine 
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