Keeping It Wild--About Shana Smith
“May our heart's garden of awakening bloom with hundreds of flowers.”― Thich Nhat Hanh
At age of eight, when a black and orange starburst garage sale guitar was first placed in my arms, something melted. I remember the vibrant low twang of its rusty old low “E” chord—it was as if someone had plucked a very tight heart string and loosened it right up. My mouth opened, and some words sang out. I don't remember what they were, but do remember that my troubles went right out the window.
An original song came soon afterwards, and never stopped. Professionally, I became a marine biologist, but the music kept calling and soon deckside jams on oceanographic cruises were replaced by real paying gigs at beach bars. When children were in the audience, I felt a special affinity to sharing music with them, writing songs together, co-creating good vibrations. A very rewarding career as “Shana Banana" the children's musician was soon born (see www.ShanaBanana.com). It was a joy being “Shana Banana” because it elicited happiness. It helped to motivate and encourage people, and could deliver so many great messages through original music.
As time went on, my yoga/Zen spiritual path deepened. More songs were written along this journey, independent of "Shana Banana." From these depths of exploration came personal revelations - including the gift of learning how to open my heart and share it with others through music, speaking, teaching, and writing.
In the midst, I also began writing about my formal Zen practice from the perspective of being a busy parent. The book "Meditation for Moms and Dads: 108 Tips for Parents and Caregivers" was the result. Then, when the escalating divisiveness of the world converged on the 100th anniversary of the Rosewood Massacre, my writing found a deep purpose in the telling of REAL history. I published the historical fiction novel "Islands of Cedars" through St. Petersburg Press, which conjoined race and ecology through the lens of the descendants of the Rosewood Massacre, the Ku Klux Klan, and Seminole Indian matriarch Polly Parker. To my joy it won the Ensley Developing Writer Award at the Florida Book Awards. I am now writing the sequel to "Islands of Cedars" and will expand on the story of Rosewood as well as delve into women's history. This job of thorough research and telling through narrative is critically needed to counteract the whitewashed script that is prevalent today.
I have so much gratitude. And yet, witnessing this world suffering under such current environmental and humanitarian atrocities is not what I ever expected to be happening in this or our children's lifetimes.
Expression through music and writing continues with this life's unfolding, deeply rooted in the earth, growing into the boundless, like an oak tree branching out majestically from her source. They are songs, blogs, books, talks, and poetry.
It's a joy to share this path with you here, fellow children of the Wild.
--Shana