"Paying your dues" is that 1.95% deduction from my paycheck.

"Gaining experience" is what improves us as pilots.

Prior to going 121, my logbook included dual given, freight, air ambulance time, corporate time, with a dash of aerial photography and fish spotting. It also included international and significant turbine time. Total time 5000. And I still use Flight Watch, Flight Service Stations (even listening over a VOR ), and often cancel my own flight plans. Since nearly half of my landings in the past six months have been at non-towered airports (yes, really), I still find those skills pretty useful.