Bar Tenderness

I've entered my eighth year as a bartender. I'd like to think I'm pretty good. It's not just about having a vast drink knowledge, but having a sense of humor, a general knowledge of random, useless facts, and good personal skills. Over the years I've been asked hundreds of times 'what do you really do?' or 'what do you hope to have as a career?'. It's hard to hear. Suppose tending bar WAS my career choice? What if it's what I REALLY did?
I'm wondering at what point it became unacceptable to be a bartender. In the past, a bartender was held in such esteem as the family doctor, the neighborhood mechanic, or your banker. I often feel a sense of unjustified guilt when speaking of what I do for work. I have fellow bartenders friends that average 100k a year, most of that tax free. Is that not enough? I want to feel proud of what I do, but it's hard. I feel judged.
Since moving to Vancouver last year, I've met some really interesting, intelligent, and quirky bartenders. It makes me happy. I feel as though we should start a guild or club or some form of bond. Brotherhood of Bar or something cheesy like that. Perhaps down the road, the bartender will again be a proud profession. Until then, I'm going to work on being proud of myself.