I’m in my fifties now and I don’t care to talk all day about myself or my life. I used to be so talkative, but now I’m tired. My few friends are from childhood now, it’s too exhausting to make new ones. And that might be sad. I don’t know.

I empathize with this. I started 5 years ago after letting go of relationships that were not healthy to maintain.

A self-involved Vancouverite, I couldn't imagine! /s

Sometimes it really is too much to try to organize friends together. Totally understand just giving up on it.

There’s nothing wrong with being a solitary self-sufficient hermit. You get to concentrate on the things you need to do and can actually hear yourself think. Being a hermit is not as bad as some people think. Take it from me! You can concentrate on getting all your work done and go to sleep anytime you want without worrying about other people. Now all you need’s a lover ;)

You may find that’s when you start attracting the most people.

I don't think people like us are "self-involved," it's just that we're tired of so called friends who don't make any effort. I had one friend (acquaintance now mostly, TBH) left that I stay in contact with. I'm always the one initiating--calling/emailing to check in etc.--but this year I waited for him to make contact. Well, the year is almost over and I haven't heard a peep from him. I don't know if I should bother contacting him again. Like you, I'm getting older OP, and getting used to solitude. I don't have the energy to try and make new friends either. When I was a kid, I dreamed of eventually having a close knit circle of friends but that never happened. I've come to terms with admitting defeat in that regard. Loneliness takes some getting used to but it's something many of us are having to learn to do.

Through life I've nearly (really, nearly all the time) been the one doing the calling, doing the legwork in my friendships. I feel like I have always had shitty friends. I've called them out on it and it doesn't matter. I can go a month and not hear my phone ring once. I actually stopped socializing. The only conversations, if can call them that, are brief superficial exchanges with sales clerks the rare time I buy something. I don't feel anything. It's like I'm patiently waiting to die.
Should I do so, nobody will notice. Not sure anyone will care, either. I doubt my friends would notice.
So I know how you feel.

Is that... me?