“Ageing gracefully” means that

1. You still remember the name of your significant other. You ALWAYS remember all the names (including the obscene ones) of your cat.

2. You still (vaguely) remember the title of the paper you are about to write. Oh wait! You wrote it last month! Damn.

3. You confuse your dentist appointment with your optometrist appointment only three times. Progress!

4. You smile politely at a person whom you, as you might think, met at the conference last May*.

5. You still remember words such as “eschatology” and “propinquity,” but are in blissful oblivion what this damn thing in the kitchen is called (you know, that shiny utensil... no, not this one, another one!).

What “ageing gracefully” has no connection with:

1. Your appearance.

2. Your clothing choices.

3. Your daily life preferences.

If someone tries to shame you for the above mentioned things, calling you an old hag and a Karen, smile and politely** ask them to fuck off.

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* Spoiler: you were wrong, but, hopefully, your weird smile and awkward gestures weren’t mistaken for something creepy you dweeb

** The level of politeness may vary