>>In other words, I had a degree of independence and agency that you normally only see in the Jet Set -- people who get called independently wealthy -- or comfortably well-off retirees. I had more control over my time and my life than your typical working stiff.
No offense, but I would not attribute any sense of freedom or higher degree of control in one's life to receiving alimony. What happens if/when the ex-spouse prematurely dies or has their bank account hacked?