Actually, no. I'm 40 and was hired in 08. I've been in and out of this business since I started learning to fly in 1987. I've seen the transformations that this industry has gone through. My pragmatism has come through age and experiences, including leaving this business for a number of years to try it on the "outside."

I have come to accept that my career earnings will never be what I had envisioned them to be when I started down this path as a small boy with his eyes always turned to the skies. Then again, lots of things haven't panned out like I thought they would. Does that suck? Ummm, yeah, but I'm okay with that. That is life.

At the end of the day, I don't need the biggest house or the newest car or the fastest boat. I have a wife and son who love me, a job I enjoy tremendously and while I may never be uber rich, I will lead a fulfilled and comfortably life. So, in a sense, I'm already ahead. I wake up happy every morning, smile when I come to work and will take advantage of the opportunities that come along, keeping in mind that when it's all said and done, there's nothing out there worth getting an ulcer over.

Peace out.