I appreciate the many responses. I often definitely get too wrapped up or worried about what I see online. Another worry I have is that there won't be upgrade opportunities for people like me coming up as sometimes you'll see comments here or places like reddit about how "the last captain for 15+ years will have been hired soon" or whatever.

Obviously these are all worries for years down the road for me.. But still. Like anyone else, I want my chance to upgrade too. I just wish I was born a few years earlier or was younger and could've taken advantage of the wave of the last few years. It really does, some days, feel as though if you weren't part of that, your career is effectively over/going to stagnate significantly and lead to guys making millions more just from lucky timing. it is what it is.. thanks.