The desert does strange things to the way one sees. It plays tricks with the imagination and, at the same time, intensifies and magnifies experiences. The hot sun and the apparent deadness of the desert clarify one's mind and reorder one's priorities. It is easy to see why codes of hospitality are strictly adhered to in this part of the world. Hospitality is a matter of mutual survival. It didn't take me long to realize what mattered in all the world. Heat, dust, and loneliness made me appreciate our need for three simple things: food, shelter, and companionship.
— Alan Jones, Soul Making