I can't say it better in my own words so...

Carmen Martín Gaite, El cuarto de atrás (The Back Room):

"In times of scarcity one must make what one has last, and just as no one throws a toy away or leaves a cake half eaten, so it would not occur to anyone to consume a song quickly, because a song is not a luxury that comes one's way every day, but a fundamental item necessary for survival. One takes good care of it, thinks about it, extracts all its juice."

Substitute another word for a song -- poetry, writing, friendship, love. How much do we take for granted? How many small--but important--joys and freedoms to we take as a given? Does it take a time of scarcity to really make us treat these things as vital to our lives? Are they luxuries or necessities? And when do we start seeing the difference between the two?