What can't you live without?

I mentioned earlier this week that I started a new project where we are rehabing a 100 year old building.  The building is a halfway house / apartment building for battered, abused or homeless women.  Each resident has their own room which is barely 120 square feet at most.  All of these women's belongings, their entire lives are house in this one room and a small 30 x 30 closet.  The floors are worn vct or warped wood.  The paster walls and ceilings are cracked and leak water.  The showers are shared and old and littered with dead insects and rodent droppings.  However, meeting these women, you would never know how poor their living conditions are.  Many are energetic and happy to interact; happy to have a place to call "home".  I was reading Andres post about the American Dream and was thinking about how different that might be depending on your standard of living.  What is a dream life for each of us?  Winning the lottery?  A stable job, loving spouse and well behaved children?  Or is it just a roof over your head and a place to be warm at night?

This is a photo of a typical resident room at the inn.  Very simple; four walls and a window.  A bed and a desk are provided.  Many have a small tv or refrigerator and most everyone has a radio, b/c radio after all if free.  What I found interesting was how each room was decorated or arranged per that person's taste in a manner that reflected their style or maybe evern hopes and dreams.  One room has pictures of tropical beaches and oceans.  Another was plastered with african american models and singers like beyonce or naiomi campbell, and another was filled with star trek memorabilia.

What can you afford not to live without?  If your most prized belonging had to fit into one 10 x 12 room, what would you take?  I thought about that, and here is what I came to...

The things I need:
My fiance: Not a possssion of mine, but the one who keeps me sane through it all.
Kitty:  Cats are great listeners and have real personality; they don't simply do what they're told like dogs.  I like that.
Coffee:  Self explanatory
Fishing rod:  I love to fish and always hope to keep a connection to the outdoors.  i'd hope that even if I lost it all, I'd be able to go out into the natural world and catch a fish.
Books:  I don't read nearly as much as I should, but I am really hoping to correct this.  My father was an english teacher and he always pushed me to read.  I love to read, but with life the way it is, I don't make time like I should.
Internet:  I don't need tv, but I don't think I could give up the internet.
Stove & cooking supplies:  I love to cook and it is somehting I am passionate about.  I need this in my life.  It is a source of creativity for me.
Guitar and artwork:  Always there as a tension release and a way to keep the mind stimulated.
Radio and CD player:  Radio is free and can be far more educational and beneficial than tv.
Plant:  Having a plant in your home helps to boost your overall mood...or so I'm told.

So what can you not live without?