Dani Banani
Bio
I write through the passion I have for how much the world around me inspires me, and I create so the world inside me can be manifested.
Mom of 4, Birth Mom of 1, LGBTQIA+, I <3 Love.
Stories (100/0)
Does Anyone Remember Megan McCauley?
I first saw Megan McCauley grace a stage in Indianapolis in the early 2000's, after she had released two songs for superhero soundtracks: Die for You on the Fantastic Four soundtrack in 2005, along with Wonder for the Elektra soundtrack that same year. I was attending X-Fest as my first "big" concert experience the summer before I turned nineteen, hanging with my father and his wife (which was actually a lot cooler than it sounds.) We picked up some commemorative t-shirts that listed all of the artists intending to perform, and I noted the names that didn't sound familiar as we headed toward the second stage.
By Dani Banani3 years ago in Beat
The Spectrum of the Sea
Viola was an unusual type of mermaid for two reasons: the first reason being her choice to only tease her appearance to humans so the theories and myths would keep spinning on land, rather than swimming after the collective dream to fall in love with a human. All other mermaids she had ever known and met had a longing to live among the humans, a story she grew tired of quickly upon hearing it over and over. She loved lingering close to ships, boats, and even humans on surfboards drifting out further than they should to talk about catching a glimpse of a mythical creature. Their conversations were fun, but she never felt anything for any of them beyond amusement.
By Dani Banani3 years ago in Futurism
A Magical Day in the Land of Vocal
Not many know the tale of the land of Vocal. In fact, it is a well-guarded secret place, full of wonders and mysteries that we can only speculate on. Theories run wild, discussions are held in hushed voices, and stories are told around the campfire.
By Dani Banani3 years ago in Futurism
To the Person Who Crushed My Writer's Ego
It's painful when your passion feels as though it's a nuisance to the world. How does one cope with that? Everyone, at some point, finds something to be passionate about. When some degrades, mocks, or belittles the product of your passion, it can sting to the center of your soul. Passion, in my opinion, derives from the soul itself: it's something that engulfs you so entirely, your heart has to spill part of it over into the soul so your entire being can keep it safe and present in your mind.
By Dani Banani3 years ago in Journal
My Melancholy Mother's Days
I love being a mom, but I hate Mother's Day. There are plenty of reasons for someone to dislike a holiday like this one: the loss of a mother or mother figure, having never grown up with one, being disowned by your own, and so on. My reasons are both common and complex, and it started on my first Mother's Day. It's as if the first one set the tone for every single one after that, and I've never managed to escape it.
By Dani Banani3 years ago in Confessions
The Meaning of Beauty
Lights, camera, PANIC! Okay, maybe I shouldn't have been feeling the panic, but this audition meant everything to me. After what felt like a million rejections, I finally got one I felt confident about, and I planned to give it my all. I spent all morning watching movies, looking for inspiration as I prepared for my glorious debut as an audition potential. Bette Midler in Beaches is transcendent if I do say so myself. I hoped my voice would command attention like hers (minus the singing.)
By Dani Banani3 years ago in Humans
Ring the King
Every state has its stereotypes and reputations, and Indiana is no different in that regard. As a native Hoosier, I can attest to a lot of the reputation being accurate as there are definitely plenty of cornfields, a shockingly low cost of living, and a fondness for enormous pork tenderloin sandwiches. Besides all of that, there is one Indiana restaurant franchise that started as a single local eatery that tends to send any Indiana resident into a little tizzy over the idea of that restaurant being dinner for the evening. Even though I am now living in another state, the Hoosier blood bleeds as red as the phenomenal pizza sauce you can find on pizzas made by Pizza King, which happens to be the best pizza place in the entire Midwest.
By Dani Banani3 years ago in Feast
Complicated Grief
The most shocking part of being a birth mom is the experience of what feels like actual death occurring when you place your newborn baby with his new parents (see Choosing Pain as Love for the full account of this personal experience.) I was warned that the feeling would occur, but I didn’t entirely believe it was possible until I went through it myself. What has been consistent since then has been an unexpected and unfortunate result of how I cope: any death that holds some level of relevance to me crushes me in a new and very intense way. Compared to how I used to deal with death and the general idea of it, the experience of grieving my child while he is still alive created a new level of grief in other situations.
By Dani Banani3 years ago in Confessions
Dear Liz
Dear Liz, Do you remember when we first started talking on Facebook Messenger? I barely replied, I went silent for a week at a time, and all I did was cry and complain about losing my former best friend. I remember how patient you were, how much you let me vent to you, and how understanding you were. I honestly thought, at that point, that I would never dedicate myself to a "best friend" ever again after how painful losing that friend was for me. I felt like I was certainly not doing well enough as a casual friend to you, but you never made me feel that way. My communication was spotty, at best. My dedication as minimal, if there was any at all.
By Dani Banani3 years ago in Humans
The Moral Dilemma of Wanda Maximoff's Grief
The insanely popular show WandaVision on Disney+ raised a whole new collection of questions and interests regarding Wanda being revealed as the chaos magic witch (also known as the Scarlet Witch) who was prophesied in the Darkhold . Everyone is interested in everything about the future of Wanda Maximoff now that she has become aware of her abilities and seeks to explore their range even further. We know she will play a huge role in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel as well. However, what interests me is the ethical/moral dilemma of her grief and the surrounding repercussions of her magic creating a complex yet satisfying grieving journey for viewers. Was Wanda's Hex an act of evil? Was her avoidance of correcting the issue once being made aware of it inherently evil, or strong denial in grief? Was WandaVision careless in utilizing this plot for Wanda's grief?
By Dani Banani3 years ago in Geeks
The Weekend Identity
My heels clicked loudly against the marble floor of the upscale club as I wandered and weaved through couples and groups of people socializing, flirting, touching, and dancing slowly with one another. This wasn't your typical club; this was the club for sexual sinners, for men and women who like to share, and I was there alone. My favorite thing to do after a long week of pleading cases for clients in front of a judge was slip away for the masquerade themes, the ones that allowed me to conceal my identity while I satisfied the sexual beast inside of me. She was a fierce one, difficult to satiate, and the themes that gave me the chance to let loose in open privacy were my only escapes from my dull career. I didn't have time, nor interest, in dating, so I came here for sex.
By Dani Banani3 years ago in Filthy