I retired 4 month ago, just before my 59th birthday.
Retirement is the best thing to happen to me since I got hired by my airline. And of course when the company went Chapter 11 about 3 months later, my choice seemed brilliant.
Over 20 years a Captain with great crews, friends and never so much as a ding anywhere, I feel honored to have been involved with the industry, relieved to be out and sad for my friends caught where they are.
The "good old days" weren't and never will be. The job is a series of obstacles put up by management, government and the tyranny of bureaucracy at every level. Not to mention the "right(s)"of the passengers to cheap vacations on my paycheck.
That said, I enjoyed it and remember fondly the time I was there, and to be truthful, there were some "good old days" although they didn't always involve the job.
Best of luck to all of you still there. Fly safe and enjoy. You'll know when the time is right to leave.