(Un)necessary?

In The Four Loves C. S. Lewis wrote, "Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art, like the universe itself (for God did not need to create). It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival" (103).
That is how I've been living for the majority of the past four months, like "friendship is unnecessary." All my friends are over 1,000 miles away so we can't talk as much as we used to because it's harder to "hang out" (that now means "video chat" for me). I thought I was doing pretty swell, though. I have a couple friends I talk to consistently via skype or other internet means, I have a musical outlet at church which gives me some surface kind of friends (I consider them more like acquaintances), and I have my cats, Boots and Baby, to talk to and snuggle with if nothing else cuts it (and I have my family, of course, but they've been consistent since the day I was born).
But this past week hit me hard. I suddenly realized just how alone I was. I was surviving just fine: I had food, water, clothes, shelter, and everything else vital to staying alive (plus some, like school), but I had basically cut myself off from the outside world.
Last night I spent nearly an extra hour talking with my small group leader after youth group. We talked about friends, boyfriends, and anything else I could think to get off my chest. It felt good. I'm not sure that she's exactly a friend, probably more like a mentor at this point, but it made me realize that it really "is not good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18), even if it's companionship from a friend. Having that companionship has the same effect on me that adding new paint and hardware has on my bathroom. I don't really spend a lot of time in my bathroom (although I might this winter, it's one of the warmest rooms in the house with the heat on) but the blue walls instead of the tan and the birds on the towel racks and hooks instead of the plain silver bars makes me feel happier and more at home. I may not spend a lot of time seeing or talking to friends but when I do take that time it makes me happier and more at home.