Boredom, definitely. To this day my childhood home borders miles of desert. The only other building between my backyard and the mountains 13 miles to the east is a hangar for a private airstrip, save a few long-abandoned homes. Or, at least, the remnants of homes, made of brick and not much mortar, crumbling in the harsh conditions.

Yeah, kind of like that, but with a few derelict two-room buildings.

The fact that we used those shells of shelter as shields in paintball skirmishes probably did little to secure their longevity, but finding entertainment in acres of sand isn’t easy – unless you factor in the off-road vehicles. And the jet skis on the river. And fireworks on the Indian reservation.

Living in my hometown also brought with it a constant gravitational struggle between Phoenix and Los Angeles (five hours away, the city where I was born, and home to both frequent visitors looking to use the river and transplants like my parents). As a young Suns fan whose father grew up rooting for the Lakers — a man who solidified his relationship with his father-in-law at courtside viewings of Magic Johnson vs. Michael Jordan — that pull was a constant burden from November to, if I was lucky, June. You made the most of it, though – after all, at least Disneyland was within driving distance!

Most importantly, dwelling in the desert meant finding beauty in the ugly, in the harsh, and often in the destructive. One of my most vivid memories is of a fire ignited in a dry field of brush by someone (classmates of mine, we’d later find out) setting off fireworks.* The fire burned for days. In an area with sightlines for miles, it was difficult for one’s eye not to be drawn to the flames on a nightly basis. Apparently people found it even more difficult to physically stay away, as many – myself and a few other high schoolers fighting ennui included – were compelled to get as close as the firefighters and police would allow. We all knew that the fire was deadly and would do untold damage to that area, but we couldn’t look away from the spectacle.

It was a lot like last night.

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