I have one friend I've had since the mid-1980s. She is handicapped and doesn't have a lot of friends even though she spent her entire professional life working at one of the telephone help agencies which later got bought out by United Way. She has maybe four friends, and the other three only call her every month or two. I try to call her as often as possible, sometimes it's only a couple times a week, and I read to her besides.
Back when we lived closer together, I would go over to her house on Friday and read to her. Mostly fantasy fiction, some sci-fi. I've lost count of how many books we've read, I read some of them to other people as well. Why buy somebody else's audible when you can audible it yourself for someone else?
@zaivala Hmmm, that is an idea to keep in mind! I've read for children in scout and other child/yoyth groups as well as at homes, but never with adults.
@hehemrin In the case of my friend, she is a little older than I am and very much on her own, not much family left and few friends. It makes her life so much better that I keep in touch and read to her. Sometimes I call to read other times I just call.
@zaivala It can be very valuable for a person that someone keep contact, by phone, letter etc, and w/o any reason (it mustn't be birthday etc to give a call). And the older we get, the more of our friends are dead or have troubles to keep contact, so I think it is easy to be more isolated than desired. But of course, it is also very individual in which personality we are.
@hehemrin most of the people I have thought were my friends over the years do not keep in contact with me. I try not to be that kind of friend, so I feel very grateful to have someone in my life I can do a little extra for.