Honesty,
Even though you make less money than you did when you worked for the defense industy you don't have to feel as though your life is over and that you can't be with somebody. In this day and age of unemployment and downsizing. Some people with six figure incomes can be out of work in an instant. Because you have more going for you mentally than most dubs you shouldn't compare yourself to them. As far as baggage is concerned, yes it is true ex-dubs have much. But try looking at so-called worldly people. They have loads of baggage too. No one is exempt.
FinallyFree,
Yes, I saw what you saw and it made me angry. Although, I never had a great "career", I certainly would not have left it if I did - all so that some idiot could feel better about himself at my expense!? I always felt they were threatened by women who were intelligent. You have heard of female circumcision practiced by muslims? Well I compare that to what dubs try to do to a woman's brain! They try to destroy her or symbolically castrate her - because they are sick and inadequate!
LHG