Philosophy Card:
Summarizing 55 years of questioning what is the meaning of life.
A hospital odyssey.

* * *

Normally in a month, I hand out about 200 philosophy cards. Handoutts jumped when my wife went into the hospital on the last day of February, 2025. In the first two weeks of Cathy's stay I gave out over 250+. It was easy as I wore my MOMA hat: Make America Moral Again (which attracted kudos).

Universally, I was thanked in many ways including handshakes and fist bumps. Only two people refused a p-card. One was a MAGA hat-wearer.

Some interesting moments were:

  1. Repeats, some asked for a card to give to a friend.
  2. Two ladies on an elevator saw the MAMA hat with one saying, "You are the man with the cards. Can I have one?"
  3. The cafeteria cashier offered to pay for my meal, the food manager on the next machine said, "Yes, let's buy it for you."
  4. In 14 days, there was a lot of in-and-outs going past security guards that eventuate in a couple of them greeting me with "cheap, cheap, cheap." The same was true for janatorial staff.
  5. Entering an elevator, a doctor that I did not recognize said, simply, "Keep passing out your cards."
  6. Passing the in-hospital Starbucks, the barista said, "I want to give you a free cup of coffee for the card you gave me yesterday."

If you review the card you will see the sections for more meaningful environment, politics, economics and morality.

(My wife finally discharged after three weeks that began with heart mechanical valve failure. On day four, a doctor told me that my wife of fifty yers had a fifty percent chance of dying by the next day. Fortunately, four hours later a Dr. Coble said he a possible solution that had a 10% failure and risked a stroke. We did what you would have done. A third doctor said in his 22 years of practice that he had never seen such a miraculous recovery. Dr. Coble said, "You cheated death.")