Yip,
I have an extensive military flying/non-flying background. I'm currently still serving in a non-flying billet in the reserves and am actually deployed as I type. My life has been an "adventure" as well.
My point with my attacks against you has been this. Being a major airline pilot is one of the last good paying jobs out there. Sure, there is medicine, law and business as well. But as far as a skilled profession, being an airline pilot can still make one quite comfortable. Constantly saying that one should be doing this job just because you love it and stating that you don't need a college degree to do such a rote task such as flying airplanes just furthers the argument to lower our pay.
If enough people keep talking like you do about doctors, the same result might happen to them. So what if they went to med school, many pilots had years of flight training (at least the good ones did). All they do is look in your mouth and have them say "ahh". Anyone can do it!
I'm glad you like your job. I like flying too. But I do it for more than the fun of flying and I expect to be paid to the level of my responsibility and training. Like I have said to you on another thread, maybe I just had good timing or luck but I'm glad I have finally gotten to the level where I currently am. I started my "adventure" back in 1990 and have finally gotten to a point where I can provide for my family to a comfortable level.
Maybe I should just move into a condo, have my kids take on huge student debt, not fund a comfortable retirement and just enjoy working for a discount.
Remember, it's not what you deserve (although I do feel that I deserve to make what I do), it's what you negotiate!!!! If you have no leverage at your current position in life, then you better get comfortable where you are.
It seems that you have, just stop busting our balls for trying to maintain this profession into one worth having.