Interesting. Well, at least you didn't go for Pan Am, you would've been through that 10 years sooner, and you would have had more experiences (yes, experiences, not experience).  My Dad got hired by Delta because he flew DC-3s for an airline in the South, and they were impressed that he got to Captain so quickly, in the biggest civilian taildragger (aside from Boeign 307, but nobody flew that much). Plus, he had family in Boston, where he was first based, so it worked out.