"Sandtrout Fossils"

“Both Oral and Written History tell us that the Spice Melange is a gift of the desert. Although a connection between sandtrout and the Great Sandworms has been postulated for centuries, there has been no physical proof…until now.”

— [Planetologist notes: date unknown]

I vividly remember being a child of 10, dreaming about what I wanted to “work in” when I was an adult. None of the typical choices of fireman, cop, or astronaut captivated my interest; I wanted to become an Archaeologist. I wanted, very much, to uncover the stories behind the objects that these—what I saw as magicians—were able to discover. At my core, I am a “trader” in important stories.

When I realized that the DUNE saga was, at its core, a grand tale wrapped around a constant exchange of stories…well, I was hooked. Each addition to the saga trades new stories for old ones (at risk of being forgotten); much like discovering fossils of sandtrout in the rocks of Arrakis.

With this piece, I encourage you to reflect on stories in your own life that are at risk of being forgotten. Write them down, share them with loved ones, keep those stories alive. At our best, I think we are all both a collection of, and traders in, important stories.