I Haven't Had a Real Conversation in 3 Months

Three months. Ninety days without a single conversation that went deeper than "paper or plastic." He hasn't had a real conversation in three months — and at 75, he's starting to forget what his own voice sounds like when it's saying something that matters. Haven't had a real conversation lonely — that's his life now. In this 14-minute confession, Arthur retells the story of a 75-year-old retired printing press operator who realized one morning that he hadn't spoken a meaningful sentence to another human being in over ninety days. Not a phone call. Not a neighbor leaning on the fence. Not even an argument. His wife passed four years ago. His brother lives in Florida and sends texts with no punctuation. His son calls once a month and asks the same three questions — how's the house, how's the weather, do you need anything. The call lasts four minutes. He timed it once. He tells Arthur he talks to the television now. Not yelling at it — talking to it. Answering the questions on game shows out loud. Responding to newscasters like they're in the room. He knows how it sounds. He doesn't care. A man who hasn't had a real conversation in months will take any voice that fills the room — even his own bouncing off a screen nobody is watching from the other side. Why do I feel like nobody talks to me anymore? Is it normal to go weeks without a real conversation? How do elderly people cope with extreme loneliness? What do you do when you have no one to talk to? Bankrupt Soul is hosted by Arthur, a 78-year-old man who collects confessions from people in their 70s and 80s — about the marriages they lost, the children who stopped calling, and the lives they forgot to live. A new story every day. If this story reminded you of someone — or of yourself — leave a comment. You are not alone in this. Subscribe to Bankrupt Soul for a new confession every day. #LonelyAfterRetirement #LifeRegret #SeniorStories