Thank you for replying and posting your thoughts, and of course you are all right.
My motivation to fly is pitched towards Survey, Air Taxi and smaller regional Operators where I hoped my personal strengths of life experience, attitude and maybe just a little hair dye (more chance of presenting myself in person to an accessible office) might offset my otherwise poor hours/ age mix and now the Test failures.
Yes, the money's poor but even the big jet pilots have other income streams, what else would they talk about at FL370, hence this was my intent.
I appreciate the aviation industry is far from the glamour of the not to distant past and although I take some of the candid views on PPRUNE with a pinch of salt, the whole world has changed and competition is severe across most industries for an ever diminishing slice of the cake assuming you are even allowed in the bakery.
We all adapt as best we can and hopefully you like me will have the chance to 'float your boat' with maybe just a few compromises.
Still can't believe the silly
writing this failed again......and I've still got to tell my mum!