I think the Buddhist idea is that the wanting does get in the way of the rest of life, on a kind of micro-level, so that instead of rejoicing in what the moment offers, one pines for what the moment would offer if it were different.

The 'more often' of having friends visit is kind of dependent on the friends' availability and schedules, as to a lesser extent is the more often of going to visit friends, which runs into finances and mobility. It's the modern world-- M too says closest friends are scattered to the four quarters of the world. So seeing one's friends is as rare as scholars in ancient China seeing theirs, and calls for the same kind of bittersweet poetry. ^_^