Miss Manners: I won a prestigious award and people are fixated on my age?

Dear Miss Manners: One of my novels received a prestigious award. Upon learning this from a communal friend, an acquaintance approached maine and said, “Congratulations, but what a shame this didn’t hap years agone erstwhile you were inactive young capable to bask it.”

I gathered my 70-year-old wits and politely thanked the idiosyncratic without apologizing for my nonaccomplishment to execute occurrence earlier successful life. Since then, 2 different radical person expressed akin sentiments.