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Episode 2 - Prudence Makore
19 Plays2 months ago
A boundless enthusiasm for life and humanity defines Prudence Makore. She champions a world where women and girls achieve economic independence, seeing it not just as a goal, but as a fundamental pathway to liberation. For Prudence, the compass of life is clear: "Let love lead, and the rest will beautifully unfold." Her envisioned utopia? Days spent delighting in the intricate tapestry of musical lyrics, their melodies her paid companions, while the sun-drenched shores of the ocean become her office.
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Transcript
Introduction: Celebrating 50
00:00:01
Bertha Musoni
Hello everybody, welcome to another episode of Journey from 75 to 25. Just to remind you, this is a program talking to people who are turning 50 this year Yes, that wonderful age of 50.
00:00:19
Bertha Musoni
It's almost like it's a journey halfway to life, but we always think of living as something to 100. So turning 50 has some huge connotations
Meet Prudence Jackson
00:00:31
Bertha Musoni
to it. So we're talking to people each week who are on this journey to turn 50 or who have already turned 50 in this year, 2025.
00:00:41
Bertha Musoni
And this week we have my wonderful, our relationship is so complicated. She's my cousin. She's my friend. She's in some aspects. She's my daughter. It's very, very complicated.
00:00:54
Bertha Musoni
We have Ms. Prudence Jackson here today to talk to us and tell us about her journey to
Age is Just a Number: 50 vs 15
00:01:02
Bertha Musoni
50. Now, Prudence, you've already celebrated your 50th birthday, haven't you
00:01:06
Prudence
I have.
00:01:11
Bertha Musoni
15.
00:01:13
Prudence
Interesting enough, it doesn't feel any different than 15.
00:01:18
Bertha Musoni
I thought you were going to say 49. You went to 15.
00:01:21
Prudence
Oh,
00:01:25
Prudence
I don't even know what 49 feels like. Feels like 15. was like fifteen
00:01:29
Bertha Musoni
Okay. so you are getting in touch with your teenage self.
00:01:34
Prudence
I don't think she ever laughed.
00:01:36
Bertha Musoni
Oh, I like that. I like that. So 15 is the age, because some people is 23. I know my sister has always been, every every birthday she believes she's turning 23. For yours is 15.
00:01:48
Bertha Musoni
What
00:01:49
Prudence
Oh, not necessarily that I want to linger at that age.
00:01:51
Bertha Musoni
what
00:01:54
Prudence
It's just, um
00:01:56
Prudence
I don't feel any differently except for ache of pain there. i mean okay let's let's go back my mind doesn't feel any different my body is a different story yes we'll go there yeah completely every time
00:02:13
Bertha Musoni
that reconciliation is off, right? Your body reminds you every time you roll out of bed and it's like, wait, That wasn't happening yesterday.
00:02:25
Prudence
exactly
00:02:25
Bertha Musoni
What is happening to me? Yeah, I can definitely say for me, it was my eyes.
Vision Changes at 50
00:02:31
Bertha Musoni
I think my eyes were the first thing that I had to, um because I've always boasted I have 20-20 vision.
00:02:39
Prudence
ah huh
00:02:39
Bertha Musoni
And then all of a sudden, I'm finding myself squinting, looking at the screen. And I'm like, what is going on in my life? Until I had to be like, okay, Bertha, maybe some things are no longer as sharp as they used to be.
00:02:51
Prudence
Oh, you will laugh at my story because I i went to the optician and my prescription hasn't really changed that much.
00:02:53
Bertha Musoni
Uh-oh.
00:03:00
Prudence
And he gave me regular glasses and he was like, maybe I should give you transition bifocals. I was like, no, I'm too young for that.
00:03:12
Prudence
And he said, okay, fine. And then two weeks later, I had to go back. And I'm like, oh no, I think you were right. I do need those bifocals. Because when I'm driving, i need my glasses to see far. But when I have my glasses, then I can't see the dashboard.
00:03:27
Bertha Musoni
Yep.
00:03:28
Prudence
Yeah, I went back with my tail between my legs.
00:03:28
Bertha Musoni
The challenges are real.
00:03:31
Prudence
Yes.
00:03:31
Bertha Musoni
Yeah, but the challenges are definitely, definitely real.
00:03:32
Prudence
in my legs
00:03:36
Prudence
yes
00:03:36
Bertha Musoni
So other than the challenges, what has been the good side of you feeling like you're still 15? Mm-hmm.
00:03:43
Prudence
I think every year has been different. um On the most part, you learn new things, you accept a lot more things.
00:03:57
Prudence
um The dreams you had when you were a child or the beliefs that you had when they were just fed to you. before you started thinking for yourself, reasoning for yourself and investigating.
Cultural Transitions: Zimbabwe to the U.S.
00:04:11
Prudence
And sometimes not even particularly investigating, it's just different, living differently.
00:04:11
Bertha Musoni
Thank
00:04:16
Prudence
You know, I grew up born and raised in Zim. And then I did my really young adult from high school in the US for 14 years. So moving to the US was like a huge culture shock and everything that I thought was a real and I knew to me was challenged.
00:04:37
Prudence
Not necessarily in a bad way, but that kind of helped me grow in and my being openness. And then I had a stance where I had to actually go back home.
00:04:51
Prudence
I was in Zim from like 2011 till 2021. That was also another growing ah phase in my life because not did I need to go back to relearn some of the things that I need to survive to be able to live in Zim.
00:05:13
Prudence
I also, it was also a culture shock because what I've known my whole adult life is different.
00:05:16
Bertha Musoni
Yeah, or challenged. Great.
00:05:19
Bertha Musoni
yeah challenged
00:05:21
Prudence
Yeah, it's being challenged now, right? How this other side of my being lives and survives. So and it's been in those eye-opening moments where you think you know and you don't know and you believe something is better but it's not always better for everybody like something that's good for me is not good for the next person and you have to adopt and adjust to that and um some of the things that I think about a lot is like religion you know um
00:05:45
Bertha Musoni
great
00:05:53
Bertha Musoni
Right.
Ancestral Resilience and Cultural Pride
00:06:01
Prudence
having lived in both Zim and the U S you actually start to realize my ancestors survived thousands and thousands of years. We thought a lot of things that I now perceive to be essential, essential.
00:06:18
Bertha Musoni
Necessities.
00:06:20
Prudence
Yeah.
00:06:20
Bertha Musoni
Yes.
00:06:21
Prudence
And how did they get here?
00:06:22
Bertha Musoni
Yep.
00:06:22
Prudence
You know, how did they get here?
00:06:23
Bertha Musoni
And they thrived.
00:06:24
Prudence
They thrived.
00:06:24
Bertha Musoni
They just didn't live.
00:06:25
Prudence
Yes.
00:06:26
Bertha Musoni
They thrived.
00:06:26
Prudence
yeah Have you seen me?
00:06:27
Bertha Musoni
Yep.
00:06:27
Prudence
I'm a big girl. I'm tall.
00:06:30
Bertha Musoni
Yep.
00:06:30
Prudence
Um, I'm big, you know, I'm not a small person, so they thrived and I have some serious genes in my family.
00:06:31
Bertha Musoni
Yep.
00:06:37
Prudence
So yeah, I, I mean, I could go on and on and on. So each year, it's not necessarily a particular year that it happens. It's just transition.
00:06:47
Prudence
Your life just transitions into this child and then this person, and you don't want to put yourself in that box. Sometimes you're put in that box and into this woman, you know, and, um,
00:06:58
Bertha Musoni
Right. Right. right
00:07:01
Prudence
everything kind of gels together. Sometimes it agrees, sometimes it doesn't. And you just learn to make it work. I, mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
00:07:10
Bertha Musoni
Well, I think that's the journey called life, right? Within all that, I think that's certainly the journey called life. um Right now at 50, I must say you're being able to, you're you in a very unique position.
00:07:26
Bertha Musoni
You're being able to have your adult lives in both Zimbabwe and the U.S. I think gives you a whole different insight into this whole thing about becoming yourself.
00:07:39
Prudence
Oh yeah.
00:07:39
Bertha Musoni
becoming this adult. um And I think the difference between us would be for me at 50, coming from just my whole adult life being in the U.S. with my foundation being made in Zimbabwe,
00:07:55
Bertha Musoni
I think our insights are different, right? So turning 50, we have a lot of similarities, but I'm almost jealous of your of your stance having broached both sides of the world as an adult for a period of time.
00:08:11
Prudence
Right.
00:08:12
Bertha Musoni
So I really,
Unfulfilled Dreams and Relationships
00:08:13
Bertha Musoni
really do admire that. And the fact that you made it, hey, because i don't think I can make it in Zim at my big age of 50. I don't think I...
00:08:20
Prudence
You know, i didn't, when initially when I went, i wasn't panicky because I was ready. i was ready. I was homesick a lot. Even though my mom was here, I was homesick a lot.
00:08:32
Prudence
and what I had to unlearn, which I am still unlearning is a lot of the times that we leave upon a memory
00:08:44
Prudence
We live upon a memory. And, you know, I hear people saying, oh, I want to go back and live in Zim. want to go back home. Yes, that desire is there because you remember what it was like growing up there.
00:08:55
Bertha Musoni
We romanticized it. We romanticized it.
00:08:57
Prudence
i don't know if it's so much romanticizing it. It's the memory of how good or you thought how well how good it was. But remember also we were children.
00:09:05
Bertha Musoni
Yes.
00:09:07
Bertha Musoni
Mm-hmm.
00:09:07
Prudence
So we didn't see a lot of the struggles, our parents, our parents really sheltered us.
00:09:12
Bertha Musoni
Right.
00:09:14
Prudence
This is what I know now at my 50.
00:09:14
Bertha Musoni
We were. Yes.
00:09:16
Prudence
I mean, i still, I still feel kind of sheltered and I'm 50 because I was talking to my mom and I always ask her, cause when I, when I went back to sim, you know, you learn all these new things and I'm asking my mom, why didn't you teach me this when I was a child?
00:09:33
Bertha Musoni
Mm-hmm.
00:09:33
Prudence
Why didn't you teach me that when I was a child? And my mom looks at me and just says, you know, you didn't need to know all that. You didn't need to know that you needed to find out and make up your own mind.
00:09:45
Prudence
You know, um, people talk about, this is a big one for me because I'm still trying to work through it ah about making friends, making connections, caring for everybody.
00:09:57
Bertha Musoni
Mm-hmm.
00:09:58
Prudence
and um, and my And I always ask my mom, why didn't you teach me to be selective of the people that I am drawn to help, that I ah want to help, I want to take in and, you know, help do things um or that I share my life with?
00:10:17
Prudence
And she said simple things because if I had told you to be cautious of everybody, then you wouldn't have been the person that you are.
00:10:25
Bertha Musoni
Experienced everyone. Yep.
00:10:26
Prudence
You wouldn't have experienced everyone in, yeah, because you experience everyone without prejudice.
00:10:28
Bertha Musoni
Yep.
00:10:35
Bertha Musoni
Exactly. And there were good examples for us for that, right? Because I think both our moms are very similar in that they open their homes to everyone.
00:10:38
Prudence
Oh yeah.
00:10:44
Bertha Musoni
um you know to We saw them taking care of the people from our father's side of the family, from from both sides of the family unconditionally.
00:10:44
Prudence
Yes.
00:10:54
Prudence
And friends.
00:10:54
Bertha Musoni
and and friends And friends, the extended family, because again, our culture is very family-centric.
00:11:02
Prudence
Yes.
00:11:03
Bertha Musoni
It's very, very family-centric. But you did say something that I found very interesting earlier. You mentioned about... that year after year, kind of thinking about the dreams that you've had.
00:11:15
Bertha Musoni
As you've hit this age 50, do you think you have actually fulfilled some of the a lot of the dreams that you've had or some of the dreams? Or do you feel unfulfilled that you haven't reached whatever expectation either that was set for you or you set for yourself?
00:11:33
Bertha Musoni
what How do you feel in regards to that at 50?
00:11:38
Prudence
On a personal level, I think on the most part, I've hit almost every mark.
00:11:44
Bertha Musoni
good
00:11:44
Prudence
Unfortunately, there are other parts of my life that involve other people, you know, like marriage, the romantics and all that. That, not so much.
00:11:56
Prudence
And um but throughout my young adulthood, it's, people know they're chasing to get married, chasing to have children.
00:12:07
Prudence
And i have only desired that with the particular person.
00:12:13
Bertha Musoni
So it's almost the one that got away.
00:12:13
Prudence
And that has actually been my downfall. So I've actually never been to a point where I'm just like, okay, I'm ready to settle.
00:12:23
Bertha Musoni
so it's almost like the one that got away
00:12:26
Prudence
Yes.
00:12:27
Bertha Musoni
Okay, so it kind of goes back to what you said as well about the fact that we kind of hold on to these memories, right, on how things were.
00:12:33
Prudence
Oh yeah.
00:12:35
Bertha Musoni
um And i can definitely i i I can definitely understand with that, um you know, being a thinking about that person that you wish you had had this life with, especially when some areas of your life did not work out as you had envisioned them.
00:12:35
Prudence
Oh yeah.
00:12:53
Prudence
Mm-hmm.
00:12:53
Bertha Musoni
Because can't say we planned because we didn't plan because that other person wasn't in the plan. You envisioned them.
00:12:58
Prudence
right exactly you envision and then that's why it's a dream that's why it's a dream because you know like um i always i'm always laughing and maybe it's not it's not a nice thing to do because i'm always laughing at a young girl saying oh i'm gonna meet this man i'm gonna marry this rich man and what what what i didn't have that as a child i did not have that as a child
00:13:02
Bertha Musoni
Yes, it's a dream.
00:13:22
Bertha Musoni
That was never your dream.
00:13:23
Prudence
That was never my dream.
00:13:24
Bertha Musoni
Yeah.
00:13:25
Prudence
And then I met someone and I'm thinking, oh, maybe I could actually do this, you know? And then after that, it was just like, okay, maybe, maybe not, maybe, maybe not.
00:13:36
Prudence
But it's not something that was like, it had to happen a certain way in my, it you know, in it was part of my dreams growing up. No, it wasn't.
00:13:48
Bertha Musoni
So crazy you say that because I think um that I was the same way. But I think that also has a lot to do with our parents.
00:13:58
Prudence
Probably
00:13:58
Bertha Musoni
I don't think our parents brought us up with that mindset.
00:14:03
Prudence
no
00:14:04
Bertha Musoni
I think our parents brought us up with you want to you need to get educated, you need to stand on your own, which is very unlike most African parents, right?
00:14:15
Prudence
Right.
00:14:15
Bertha Musoni
Because it's always been looking for, you grow up, we or they raise their children, especially girls, to look for that safety net. And they raise their boys to be that provider.
00:14:24
Prudence
And I asked my mom about that too.
00:14:26
Bertha Musoni
Yeah, that's very interesting. I'd never thought about that.
00:14:29
Prudence
I asked my mom about that too. I was like, why didn't you teach me this? Why didn't you tell me? She was like, because there's no perfect man. You meet someone that you get along with, that you like, anything can work.
00:14:42
Prudence
But if you meet somebody with money, what if they don't have money tomorrow? was like, yeah, that, yeah, yeah, that makes sense.
00:14:46
Bertha Musoni
Right, right. Then you've you've you've based you've based the relationship on a fallacy.
00:14:49
Prudence
And we, on that money, yeah, exactly.
00:14:52
Bertha Musoni
Right.
00:14:53
Prudence
Yeah.
00:14:55
Bertha Musoni
That is interesting.
00:14:55
Prudence
So, yeah.
00:14:55
Bertha Musoni
Wow, i'd never thought about that. Never thought about that. So family, I know you said, you know,
Survival and Family Support in Zimbabwe
00:15:01
Bertha Musoni
having family, having kids was something you wanted to do with a specific person.
00:15:07
Bertha Musoni
You don't have kids. Is that something at 50 that zero biological kids?
00:15:10
Prudence
none none I've got zero biological kids.
00:15:13
Bertha Musoni
But I know you've adopted many, many children because...
00:15:13
Prudence
Yeah. oh Jesus. Oh, yes.
00:15:20
Bertha Musoni
And that's one thing I love about you when I say you live unapologetically. You. You are one of the largest hearts I know. You quietly help people and you don't make fanfare about it.
00:15:35
Bertha Musoni
So tell us about this family that you've created for yourself.
00:15:40
Prudence
um I don't know if I created it or which just God just gave it to me. You know, when I was in Zim, Bertha, there was a point I didn't think I was going to survive being in Zim.
00:15:51
Bertha Musoni
Thank you.
00:15:55
Prudence
And um it was just a lot. Emotionally, was a lot. I was there by myself. Actually, was my brother was there. My younger brother was there.
00:16:06
Prudence
and but you know everything that i knew as an adult and knowing that i can work and sustain myself as an adult i couldn't do when i was in zim i did work for a couple of companies they don't pay you and then you have to spend your time fighting with them i you know read my own projects and that works but then you don't always get paid people in zim do not value brain power So if you do like like engineering work, you know that I'm an engineer. You design something for them, um give it to them, do all the feasibility studies for them, give it to them.
00:16:44
Prudence
They don't pay you for that. They will only think about you when they get stuck trying to implement it.
00:16:51
Bertha Musoni
They forget about what went into that.
00:16:54
Prudence
oh oh yo Oh, yeah.
00:16:56
Bertha Musoni
Yep.
00:16:56
Prudence
They will not pay you. They will only pay you if they need your help to implement it, which is really sad. But also now being back in Zim, because and was just struggling with work and everything was very intense for me.
00:17:18
Prudence
My um extended family, you know, my cousins had kids and know they love to come around. And I found
00:17:26
Bertha Musoni
right.
00:17:29
Prudence
my survival in taking care of them.
00:17:33
Prudence
You know, just making sure that they ate, they were taken care of, when whether their moms were there or not, you know, because a lot of the times when they say it's trying to Chingirisa and they're going to South Africa, they're going to Botswana, they're going to this, and they don't have anyone to leave their kids with.
00:17:43
Bertha Musoni
right
00:17:49
Prudence
They'll come and leave their kids with me. And that's just, that's how that just started.
00:17:54
Bertha Musoni
So you created a value for yourself.
00:17:54
Prudence
And, Oh, I didn't have to.
00:17:58
Bertha Musoni
Yeah.
00:17:58
Prudence
I didn't have to.
00:17:59
Bertha Musoni
You fell into it.
00:18:00
Prudence
I mean, I felt, I mean, God gave it to me.
00:18:00
Bertha Musoni
Mm-hmm.
00:18:03
Prudence
When I say you God gave it to me, it was meant for my survival. I wouldn't have made it there out of Zim without it.
00:18:12
Bertha Musoni
That is, that is a, I'm happy for you for that.
00:18:12
Prudence
So,
00:18:17
Bertha Musoni
Because, and when I say, right, well, and and that's why I say it's a family you created.
00:18:17
Prudence
because it gave me purpose.
00:18:23
Bertha Musoni
Yes, God gave it to you. But a lot of times we also don't accept what God gives to us all the time.
00:18:30
Prudence
True.
00:18:30
Bertha Musoni
So you you listened and you went with it because you could have simply bought you know bowled up and said, i am going through this and ignored what was being given to you, that safety net that was being given to you.
00:18:32
Prudence
True.
00:18:43
Prudence
Oh yeah, but then this is where that comes in when was, remember was saying my mom didn't teach me to guard who I give my life to.
00:18:44
Bertha Musoni
So.
00:18:51
Bertha Musoni
Mm hmm.
00:18:53
Prudence
Some people suck life out of you. These kids gave me life.
00:18:58
Bertha Musoni
They gave you life.
00:18:59
Prudence
Yes.
00:18:59
Bertha Musoni
Yes. Yes. But even the people who suck lives out of us. you come out a better person because I think one thing i know about you is that you don't do anything for anyone because you have to.
00:19:08
Prudence
Absolutely. Absolutely.
00:19:17
Prudence
No.
00:19:17
Bertha Musoni
And i leave but I live by that same creed. So when people take advantage of that, to me, they're the ones who lose more than ever I will because I know I was pure in my intentions.
00:19:20
Prudence
No.
00:19:26
Prudence
Absolutely. Because when... No expectation whatsoever.
00:19:31
Bertha Musoni
Correct, correct, correct.
00:19:32
Prudence
Yeah. Yeah.
00:19:33
Bertha Musoni
And I think those things also come with with the age thing, right, with us growing up. um We grew up at a time where because of the environments we grew up in, because we had parents who were opening their doors to everyone, we also grew up wanting to be very inclusive.
00:19:54
Bertha Musoni
So we don't, I don't necessarily meet somebody and I'm guarded.
00:20:00
Prudence
No, I still cannot be guarded until somebody does something to me or, you know, I still cannot.
00:20:00
Bertha Musoni
i I have correct and I'm the same way. Yep. My saying.
00:20:08
Prudence
I mean, I try to, I mean, I try to but it doesn't work for me.
00:20:09
Bertha Musoni
Try to be cautious.
00:20:13
Prudence
It's not, it's not my life.
00:20:15
Bertha Musoni
It's not who you are.
00:20:15
Prudence
Yeah. No,
00:20:16
Bertha Musoni
it' sort but It's not who you are. It's not ingrained in you. I have a saying that um everybody I meet is on a pedestal because I don't know you to bring you any lower than a pedestal.
00:20:19
Prudence
no.
00:20:25
Prudence
Mm-hmm.
00:20:29
Prudence
Yep.
00:20:29
Bertha Musoni
right So you're on a pedestal when I meet you. How far down you drop or how quickly is up to you?
00:20:35
Prudence
It's on you. Mm-hmm.
00:20:38
Bertha Musoni
I don't control that.
00:20:40
Prudence
Nope.
00:20:41
Bertha Musoni
It's you who controls how quickly you're going to fall from that pedestal. For my intentions are clear.
00:20:46
Prudence
Absolutely right.
00:20:47
Bertha Musoni
And that has been lesson I think I have learned with life, with growing, as the years have gone on.
00:20:48
Prudence
Mm-hmm.
00:20:55
Prudence
Yes.
00:20:55
Bertha Musoni
That's creating the safeguards. Because a lot of people, some people you'll meet and they'll be like, oh, you know, don't talk to so-and-so because they're this and that.
00:21:04
Prudence
Yeah, I don't hotspot drama.
00:21:04
Bertha Musoni
And I think I even, I don't.
00:21:06
Prudence
Gosh. No. No. but drama
00:21:06
Bertha Musoni
Hot spot. Hot spot.
00:21:09
Prudence
god
00:21:11
Bertha Musoni
I don't co-sign anybody else's issues.
00:21:13
Prudence
and
00:21:14
Bertha Musoni
That's how I put it.
00:21:14
Prudence
no ah
00:21:16
Bertha Musoni
Because i remember when I was in college, we we i went through, we it was a it was some Zimbabweans who went to the same school. And it didn't happen to some guy.
00:21:26
Prudence
Okay.
00:21:28
Bertha Musoni
I was just going to talk to this guy. okay, happy to you. I won't be moved in this. So I continued talking to him. and And I then got iced out because of that.
00:21:43
Prudence
Oh, no.
00:21:43
Bertha Musoni
So my logic for me was, first of all, when i when my parents bought me a plane ticket, it was for Bertha Mussoni.
00:21:53
Prudence
hmm.
00:21:53
Bertha Musoni
Only. There was no Bertha Mussoni end. So my life does not have to be dependent on somebody else's experience.
00:22:01
Prudence
Exactly.
00:22:02
Bertha Musoni
And I think having that strong something has actually only made me the more individual person I am. And I see that with you as well, in the sense that you've only become more rooted in those things that you were able to believe when you were younger.
00:22:19
Prudence
Oh yeah.
00:22:20
Bertha Musoni
So in the journey of discovery 50, is there anything about yourself that you're still discovering that surprises you?
Self-Discovery and Personal Growth
00:22:29
Prudence
yes jesus
00:22:33
Bertha Musoni
Oh, the way you say yes on that one, I want to know. Do share.
00:22:40
Prudence
oh my gosh okay so i don't know if it's a good it's not a good idea it's not a good it's not a good idea
00:22:48
Bertha Musoni
Okay, can you can you can can you give us the cleanup version of that?
00:22:52
Prudence
Okay, i'm learning I'm still learning.
00:22:53
Bertha Musoni
Of what still surprises you?
00:22:55
Prudence
I should have learned to have a filter when I was younger.
00:23:00
Bertha Musoni
Yeah, you need a filter.
00:23:00
Prudence
But even though now that i need I'm older, is' like it's even harder for me to try and build a filter. I do not have a filter.
00:23:12
Prudence
I have to pinch myself at work sometimes, a lot of the times, not to say what's on my mind.
00:23:19
Bertha Musoni
The first thing that comes to your mind.
00:23:22
Prudence
yes and it's not it's not that is there always bad things but do you know how koozie your everybody how koozie just cracks a joke when you thought he wasn't listening to your conversation oh my god that is so me he gets that from me and i have to pinch myself not to crack a joke on people
00:23:45
Bertha Musoni
But the difference with you and Kuzi, though, Kuzi will deliver it in a way that that is not obvious to the issue at hand.
00:23:55
Prudence
Girl, that don't have a filter.
00:23:55
Bertha Musoni
You, on the other hand, because of your lack of...
00:23:58
Prudence
I don't.
00:24:00
Bertha Musoni
Kuzi is diplomatic in calling it out. Yet you, on the other hand, you are direct, therefore aiming the person that you're going to.
00:24:06
Prudence
Oh God.
00:24:10
Bertha Musoni
But here I think is where your saving grace is going to be. You know how they say as people get older, their filter is less and less?
00:24:19
Prudence
It's is that much more difficult.
00:24:21
Bertha Musoni
Yours is going to be worse.
00:24:24
Prudence
Oh gosh.
00:24:27
Bertha Musoni
But you're going to have the grace of age excusing you. How about that?
00:24:33
Prudence
I don't know if it's, I hope it works. I hope it works. What I do like about not having a filter is I'm not mean.
00:24:42
Bertha Musoni
no no
00:24:43
Prudence
I'm not mean. So like when I was in Zim, I was, you know, training career guidance, you know, coaching young kids, trying to move like to Germany and stuff.
00:24:55
Prudence
And ah while there were a lot of things that my mom didn't teach me, I wish there was some that she had taught me. Simple, I mean, simple basic things, like sexual things, you know.
00:25:07
Prudence
I was lucky, I went to St. John's actually, one of the nuns taught me. Early on when I was in Form 1, I remember Sister Theo,
00:25:14
Bertha Musoni
ah so
00:25:18
Bertha Musoni
Oh my gosh.
00:25:19
Prudence
sister that thea say you you know she used to we used these meetings and she she would call them spokes you know like conversations in the past which yes and sister thea would say girls you know you're very beautiful and whatnot and she didn't she was never on a high horse what when she taught us this which is what i'd like to unlike
00:25:27
Bertha Musoni
ah Sex education.
00:25:41
Prudence
why my mom didn't teach me this because she didn't know how to teach it to me without being on a high horse so anyway is yes so sister Theo you know we we would have movies once in a blue moon would have movies or would have um concerts or parties at night so sister Theo said to me girls the age that you're at you don't trust your bodies and
00:25:47
Bertha Musoni
Well, culture is, culture dictates that, but we'll talk about that in a second.
00:26:09
Prudence
Don't trust your bodies because, number one, you can be a in in public or alone with a guy who is going to touch you the way that your body likes and you're not going to know because you're a child.
00:26:27
Bertha Musoni
You don't know what's happening.
00:26:29
Prudence
If you don't know what's happening, a guy will touch your thigh and he should give an example of how they'll parise your thigh. and or your arm or your back and your mind is telling him no but your body is moving towards him because you like the way it's making you feel
00:26:46
Bertha Musoni
It's moving towards him. It's like a magnet. It's a magnet.
00:26:51
Prudence
Yes, because you like your mind knows you should not, but your body is liking what it's feeling. you know So he can he can tell.
00:27:02
Prudence
And normally if you are with an older gentleman, just run at that moment because he he can outwit you.
00:27:12
Bertha Musoni
Experience. Experience.
00:27:13
Prudence
Yes.
00:27:13
Bertha Musoni
That was actually really good sage advice.
00:27:16
Prudence
So she would she taught us that from the time we went from one to went from four. And I didn't know what it meant until one day i was on the bus and this hot guy sat next to me and my body was hot.
00:27:25
Bertha Musoni
Situation.
00:27:32
Prudence
Literally hot.
00:27:33
Bertha Musoni
And you're like, what is going on here? It's June.
00:27:35
Prudence
I was like, I was like, what?
00:27:35
Bertha Musoni
It's winter time. What is going on?
00:27:39
Prudence
This is what c Sister Thea was talking about. I don't even like this boy.
00:27:43
Bertha Musoni
But your body likes him, evidently.
00:27:43
Prudence
But he was smelling good and he was looking good, yes. And because you're sitting on the bus, you're sitting on the two-seater, his thigh is leaning on your thigh. You can feel that. Yes.
00:27:53
Bertha Musoni
You're feeling a little squished.
00:27:55
Prudence
yeah
00:27:56
Bertha Musoni
ah But I think
00:27:57
Prudence
And I understood that. So whenever i taught to my kids, I was just direct with them.
00:28:03
Bertha Musoni
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:28:03
Prudence
Look, this this could happen with a guy you don't even like, with a guy you don't even think is smart.
00:28:08
Bertha Musoni
who
00:28:09
Prudence
Because, your I mean, your body's deceitful. And you know women, we go through the cycles. Sometimes, you know, you're just in the mood because of your cycle.
00:28:20
Prudence
And this guy comes in, we're animals.
00:28:23
Bertha Musoni
Because of your hormones, oh yeah. And that's, but but it's it's, so because of the way our culture is set up, right, that conversation was not one that our parents, our mothers would have with us.
00:28:24
Prudence
Yeah, we're animals.
00:28:36
Prudence
now
00:28:38
Bertha Musoni
I mean, granted, we do have the safeguards to be able to have the tetes and things like that, but our parents were also that generation that did things differently from the generation before them.
00:28:50
Prudence
before yes absolutely
00:28:52
Bertha Musoni
So I think that actually then created gaps, right? Almost in the same manner that we're doing some things differently from the way our parents did them.
00:29:00
Prudence
That's how I've been able to give my parents grace.
00:29:00
Bertha Musoni
And then that's creating the cracks. Yes.
00:29:04
Prudence
That's how I've been able to give them grace.
00:29:04
Bertha Musoni
And that's where I was going.
00:29:06
Prudence
Because, you know, we think of, and look look at the difference like from 2000 to 2025.
00:29:12
Bertha Musoni
Mm-hmm.
00:29:12
Prudence
I to, like both I met both my grandmothers. My paternal grandmother died when I was fairly young, but my maternal grandmother died when I was an a adult and I got time to spend with her.
00:29:26
Bertha Musoni
Great.
00:29:27
Prudence
So she was a generation away from being in Nembe. You know what I mean?
00:29:32
Bertha Musoni
Oh, wow.
00:29:32
Prudence
And we don't think about those things.
00:29:34
Bertha Musoni
Yeah? Mm-hmm.
00:29:35
Prudence
We don't think about those things. We just explain. Like i know a lot of people young people or young adults are always so mad at their parents, but they don't stop to think. with and asa kuve we suu Our great-grandparents, even though it was during colonization, they were still very rural and very unworldly.
00:29:48
Bertha Musoni
Where did we come from? Yeah. Yes.
00:29:55
Bertha Musoni
Yes.
00:29:56
Prudence
and what For me, it was a big thing because I was thinking, for me, when I actually understood what i when i understood it, Bertha, I finished high school in 1994.
00:29:56
Bertha Musoni
Well, there was so deep in the culture.
00:30:09
Prudence
I knew how to type. I had seen ah big cell phone in my uncle's car and on the movies. And of course, I watched science fiction cars, but that's as close as I ever got to a computer.
00:30:18
Bertha Musoni
Right.
00:30:22
Bertha Musoni
Mm hmm.
00:30:24
Prudence
Fast forward a couple of years, I'm in college and all my homework has to be timed in on a printed on a Word document.
00:30:28
Bertha Musoni
On a computer. Yep.
00:30:31
Prudence
Fast forward a few more years, we have cell phones
00:30:33
Bertha Musoni
Cell phones. You're walking around with the computer in your hand.
00:30:37
Prudence
in in your hand.
00:30:38
Bertha Musoni
Mm-hmm.
00:30:39
Prudence
Fast forward a few years, imagine somebody that went to prison in 1990, got 25 years and came out two thousand and fifteen
00:30:49
Bertha Musoni
Oh, they're lost. They are lost. Like, it's, you are.
00:30:51
Prudence
ah completely lost. It's like you're living in a different world.
00:30:55
Bertha Musoni
and And I think that's kind of where to get to your point. That's where we have to be able to give our parents grace. But I think at this older the age that we are, where for some people, you know, you we are blessed because like for you, you still have both your parents.
00:31:11
Prudence
ah love it.
00:31:12
Bertha Musoni
I still have my mom. for For a lot of people, their parents probably died before they were able to to get to that point of being able to understand that, you know what, the generation that's coming up behind me, the the margins of difference are so large.
00:31:20
Prudence
ah Right.
00:31:30
Prudence
the humongous
00:31:31
Bertha Musoni
And you kind of have to look at that and say, you have a disconnect. Imagine what your parents had at their time when you were growing up.
00:31:39
Prudence
yes yes
00:31:41
Bertha Musoni
That was also a disconnect. But those are the things that we get as well from getting older, right?
00:31:43
Prudence
yeah
00:31:46
Bertha Musoni
Because think about the rages that we used to have when we were 17, 18, and we wanted to be adults. And you're being told, don't do this, don't do that.
00:31:55
Prudence
funny enough, I didn't have those ranges 17, 18.
00:31:56
Bertha Musoni
Question against this.
00:31:58
Prudence
I think my ranges were at 11, 12, 13. By the time, I think I was 15, 16, my mom and I were friends. But 11, 12, 13?
00:32:07
Bertha Musoni
because your mom had already fought the fight, though but your mom had already fought the fight because I think for you, you're a younger sister and you're the baby girl.
00:32:07
Prudence
Jesus Christ. Oh, my
00:32:13
Prudence
God. Yes, i'm the I'm the baby girl. Yeah.
00:32:16
Bertha Musoni
So that also comes into play as to, because you know how that, that loves commercial, the diaper commercial, the first baby, they're all running around and they're all panicky.
00:32:16
Prudence
Yes.
00:32:21
Prudence
Yes.
00:32:24
Prudence
Yes.
00:32:26
Bertha Musoni
By the time the second baby comes, they literally forget the baby in the house.
00:32:26
Prudence
Yeah.
00:32:29
Prudence
Yes.
00:32:29
Bertha Musoni
if So it's the same way, right? That those fights had already been had.
00:32:36
Prudence
Yeah.
00:32:36
Bertha Musoni
So that also makes a difference because to have this conversation with your older sister, well, maybe not her because she was she's very quiet. we
00:32:44
Prudence
Yeah.
00:32:44
Bertha Musoni
With maybe, you know.
00:32:45
Prudence
Yeah. we had We had to fight her battles for her, but that's a story for a different day. And it's funny because and just a few months ago, Paula was like, you guys, we have to really apologize to mom.
00:32:56
Prudence
because... We really have to apologize to mom because, you know, my mom, you know, like they would call you from the gate, what time it's called, a scissors or something that's very close to her.
00:33:08
Bertha Musoni
to fix
00:33:09
Prudence
She wants you to tell the time she's wearing a watch.
00:33:09
Bertha Musoni
to fix their...
00:33:12
Prudence
And we used to laugh at her. She'd be ill like, getting up, she'd be like, oh, my legs, oh, my legs, oh, my back. and she my My sister said, boy, we were so mean and so un-understanding.
00:33:22
Bertha Musoni
Right?
00:33:24
Prudence
We have to apologize to mom because these acts and pains are real.
00:33:28
Bertha Musoni
They're real. They are real. They are real. so and and and ah and this is So it's almost like this age that we're at now is an age of reconciliation.
00:33:38
Prudence
Oh, yes.
00:33:39
Bertha Musoni
Some people, because you're understanding your parents, because we're the next generation in some families. Like in our family, in my family, um we are the next generation. All my father's all my my my father and all his siblings have all gone on.
00:33:55
Prudence
wow.
00:33:55
Bertha Musoni
So from a family perspective, we are that next generation. We are now the elders.
00:34:01
Prudence
Yes, have good friends that are grandparents. have good friends that are grandmas.
00:34:05
Bertha Musoni
That is sobering. That is so sobering.
00:34:09
Prudence
I've got friends that are grandmas and granddads. um My friend, ti know you know, Tino Gundani, my friend Tino passed away last year and he had held his granddaughter.
00:34:14
Bertha Musoni
Yeah, I know, you know, yeah.
00:34:20
Bertha Musoni
Yeah.
00:34:21
Prudence
He, and he wasn't even 50.
00:34:21
Bertha Musoni
Yeah, that is very sobering.
00:34:22
Prudence
was going to be 50 in August this year.
00:34:23
Bertha Musoni
He was so he was turning 50 that year, yeah.
00:34:25
Prudence
This year. Yeah.
00:34:26
Bertha Musoni
This year, yeah, because he's a 70, he was 75, yeah.
00:34:28
Prudence
Yeah.
00:34:29
Bertha Musoni
That is very sobering. And I think that right there, right, losing... others that we've grown up with, I think is also something that gives you a different reflection on life.
00:34:38
Prudence
Yeah, that's that's just crazy. Oh yeah.
00:34:43
Bertha Musoni
um but Especially when they, I think when we lose them so close to that time when they should be 50, I think it's given me a time to look back and appreciate and say, okay, I mean, granted, I'm not there yet, so I'm still praying I make it.
00:34:50
Prudence
Oh yeah.
00:34:57
Bertha Musoni
But, you know, I'm so grateful.
00:34:58
Prudence
You're there. You're there. We already celebrated it.
00:35:02
Bertha Musoni
No, no, no, no.
00:35:02
Prudence
You're there.
00:35:03
Bertha Musoni
I have not. I'm yet to celebrate. We celebrated you.
00:35:05
Prudence
Oh, you were going to celebrate yours. Yeah.
00:35:07
Bertha Musoni
Oh, yeah, no. I'm coming.
00:35:08
Prudence
Knock on wood in V. Yeah.
00:35:10
Bertha Musoni
I'm getting there. But it's one of those things that make you realize how special it is. And I think that's why I wanted to have these conversations, because I feel like it's ah
00:35:22
Prudence
I don't know if he's yeah dont special is is a strong enough word. And and i don't I don't use fancy big words, but I just...
00:35:27
Bertha Musoni
a... I don't know what word to use. I don't know what word to use.
00:35:30
Prudence
so I know it's it is definitely special, but I don't know if it's a strong enough word because I really feel blessed
00:35:32
Bertha Musoni
Blessed. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. yeah
00:35:38
Bertha Musoni
bless
00:35:39
Bertha Musoni
yep
00:35:40
Prudence
above, mean, beyond measure.
00:35:44
Prudence
Because at 25, if you had told me at 50, this is where I would have been. I could have been telling you, like, go please.
00:35:57
Prudence
But, yeah. yeah I'm so blessed.
00:36:00
Bertha Musoni
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
00:36:02
Prudence
im It is very special. And one of the things that I always, always you know say to my, I say this to my friend, Emma, i try sometimes I try to ignore things because you know how when you dream of something or when you when you see something that's going to happen that's going to happen in your life before it happens and then it happens you're like what the heck
00:36:33
Bertha Musoni
That full circle moment. Wow.
00:36:35
Prudence
yes and for me it's been so weird because it started well I started realizing that i do see these things they're shown to me sometimes even when I'm awake like I was robbed Bertha when I was in Zim
00:36:53
Bertha Musoni
wow
00:36:57
Prudence
I saw this thing happen for months I started dreaming it when I was asleep and then leading up to the
00:37:04
Bertha Musoni
Wow.
00:37:08
Prudence
day that it happened, I would be wide awake and I would see a clip flash through like that.
00:37:16
Bertha Musoni
So it's almost like you're you're you're youre youre you're replaying it, yet it's happening.
00:37:16
Prudence
And
00:37:20
Prudence
yes. And then I told, you know, and I told my kids, because no, was staying with my kids those days.
00:37:26
Bertha Musoni
Mm-hmm.
00:37:26
Prudence
And I told my cousin, Madeleine, I was staying with, and you know, we'd pray about it and, and you know, because then sometimes would get antsy. So on the day that it happened,
00:37:39
Prudence
I was wearing brand new clothes. I was wearing brand new clothes because my, when was this?
00:37:43
Bertha Musoni
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:37:46
Prudence
I think, yeah. Oh yes. Dominique had just visited Zim. It was 2018. Dominique had just come to Zim in July. So this happened in August.
00:38:00
Prudence
And Dominique Simbata Tenda. And they brought me some clothes, some really nice clothes. So was styling. We going to a birthday party. And I wasn't driving. i don't remember why I wasn't driving. So we were going to catch a leaf with someone. And as I was, we I was walking with my cousin. It was before sunset.
00:38:19
Prudence
There were people in front of us.
00:38:21
Bertha Musoni
Grabbed it.
00:38:21
Prudence
And there were people behind us. And these guys came... like they wanted to ask a question, they were in a small car and as soon they slowed down and they called me over I had a sling bag.
00:38:37
Prudence
They they grabbed my sling bag and I fell to the ground and they took off in their car, Bertha.
00:38:41
Bertha Musoni
wow
00:38:42
Prudence
If I put my head down, I could see that wheel was going, that yeah, the back wheel was going to crush my head.
00:38:44
Bertha Musoni
you would have been crushed
00:38:48
Bertha Musoni
yeah
00:38:50
Prudence
And if I let go of my handbag, I was going to get run over at the same time. So I'm holding onto it, praying that it just comes off or it just breaks before i'm too tired i know to I'm too tired to keep my head up.
00:39:04
Bertha Musoni
It just breaks off. Yeah.
00:39:08
Bertha Musoni
So you were being dragged?
00:39:08
Prudence
They drag dragged me 100 meters until my bag broke.
00:39:10
Bertha Musoni
oh wow.
00:39:16
Prudence
The funny part is had seen it that day. big muma manga mugu a birthday gift for the person who but they were going to I left my keys, I left my money at home and my my phones were in my pocket.
00:39:31
Bertha Musoni
Wow. So all that and they got nothing.
00:39:35
Prudence
the The most expensive thing they got was the bag. That was a hot handbag. oh And sadly, sadly is they probably don't even know how expensive that bag
00:39:44
Bertha Musoni
How expensive it was. Yeah, the value of it.
00:39:46
Prudence
Oh my, oh my God, yeah.
00:39:46
Bertha Musoni
They know they probably threw it away.
00:39:49
Prudence
It was nice though.
00:39:49
Bertha Musoni
They probably just threw it away.
00:39:51
Prudence
Yeah, it happened and I went home and my kids laughed like, oh mom, what, if you were really serious, this was gonna happen. i was like, I didn't want it to happen, but I kept seeing it now when I was awake and I just told them.
00:40:05
Prudence
It was less than an hour from when I left the house.
00:40:05
Bertha Musoni
Wow.
00:40:07
Prudence
I left the house, walked about 15 minutes, it happened. And 15 minutes later we were back home and I was telling them it happened.
00:40:16
Bertha Musoni
Yeah, and but but that also comes with just being in tune with
Cultural Appreciation and Ancestral Influence
00:40:21
Bertha Musoni
yourself. Because I think one of the things that with age I've appreciated is like you were talking about earlier about our ancestors, being able to appreciate my culture.
00:40:31
Prudence
Girl.
00:40:34
Prudence
Mm-hmm.
00:40:34
Bertha Musoni
Because we grew up in ah in a and a time where it wasn't cool, right, to be connected like that.
00:40:40
Prudence
Right.
00:40:41
Bertha Musoni
And I think as now at 50, I think I'm more in tune with my roots in a way that I wasn't and any at any other time in my life.
00:40:51
Prudence
um Absolutely. Mm-hmm.
00:40:54
Bertha Musoni
I think this has been a time for me to kind of want to go back.
00:40:59
Prudence
For me... Going back has been actually from the time started to think about it when I was in high school, wanting to learn more.
00:41:08
Bertha Musoni
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:41:10
Prudence
And so, you know, my I would actually go visit my grandma when I was in high school, even though she would kick me away and and tell me to go back to the city. Because, Bertha, you know, when we were in primary school,
00:41:25
Prudence
we moved, after independence in Zim, we moved to Mount Pleasant, to and we started going to North Park it was my brother and I we I mean we barely spoke English because you know we lived in Mapfuku and stuff we spoke very little English and um we go we get to school and it was North Park and you're not allowed to speak Shona you're not allowed to speak Shona
00:41:51
Bertha Musoni
Right. Probably once week.
00:41:54
Prudence
your confidence tanks because you can't articulate yourself well in English.
00:41:58
Bertha Musoni
right
00:41:59
Prudence
You get in trouble for trying to articulate yourself um in Shauna. And I mean, at grade three to grade seven, you will only a allowed to speak Shauna in a Shauna lesson and we only got a Shauna lesson in grade seven.
00:42:18
Bertha Musoni
probably once a week
00:42:20
Prudence
ah In grade seven once, yeah, in grade seven once a week.
00:42:22
Bertha Musoni
Right. Mm-hmm.
00:42:24
Prudence
And I was thinking about that, you know, when I was in high school.
00:42:28
Prudence
um Not so much at St. John's, but when I was doing my A-levels, I was in Bigita, the middle of nowhere. And people were laughing at me because I spoke English like a white person.
00:42:39
Bertha Musoni
right
00:42:40
Prudence
And i was like, it was like a double-edged sword. Before, I had to go through this ah phase in my life where I wasn't allowed to speak Shona on school grounds and go through the harassment and the teasing and then now as an older child I'm going through the similar thing except it's reverse yeah yeah because then in school my first instinct was always to speak in English but the in beginning everybody was speaking Shona even in class
00:42:58
Bertha Musoni
But on the opposite direction, yeah. Yeah.
00:43:06
Bertha Musoni
Right.
00:43:14
Bertha Musoni
But that's where you kind of have to realize, again, about those gaps, right?
00:43:18
Prudence
Yes.
00:43:19
Bertha Musoni
ah The fact that our parents grew up at a time because they went and they threw you from one extreme to the other without thinking about the, site without considering, not going to say thinking, without considering the psychological effects of how that, first so first of all, they looked at us and they were like, well, boy, and you're going to figure it out.
00:43:25
Prudence
Oh yeah. but The psychological effects. Oh yeah.
00:43:38
Bertha Musoni
You know, like it was almost like it was supposed to be ingrained.
00:43:38
Prudence
Oh yeah.
00:43:41
Bertha Musoni
So we weren't taught to love that part of ourselves or embrace it in the same way.
00:43:47
Prudence
No, we were taught survival.
00:43:48
Bertha Musoni
But we're taught survival because we we're also not taught to hate it.
00:43:53
Prudence
No.
00:43:53
Bertha Musoni
We were just taught survival.
00:43:55
Prudence
No, yeah.
00:43:56
Bertha Musoni
And as bad as it seems when we talk about it like this, it again, like your mom said, it made you who you are today.
00:44:04
Prudence
and what What I do, talking about that, what I do want to say about my parents, because I see a lot of parents shield their kids worse than my mom. My mom, when a close relative passed away, she always took us to the funeral.
00:44:12
Bertha Musoni
Mm-hmm. Helicopter parents. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:44:18
Prudence
I don't ever remember looking in the casket when I was younger, but she always took us to the funeral and I always knew what it was. I was barely five or six when my grandmother died, but I went to the funeral and I knew what had happened.
00:44:32
Prudence
Did I understand it? not necessarily, but by the time my paternal grandfather died, I was maybe three or four years older. and then understood, you know, so I didn't have those questions like, when is grandma coming back?
00:44:42
Bertha Musoni
so
00:44:45
Prudence
Where is she gone?
00:44:45
Bertha Musoni
Right.
00:44:46
Prudence
Where, you know, all that kind of stuff.
00:44:48
Bertha Musoni
My tete passed away. i came from school that day and she had passed away and my grandmother was sitting in the bedroom just crying and holding her.
00:44:58
Prudence
Hmm.
00:44:58
Bertha Musoni
And I was in grade one. But what I remember the most about that is at her funeral, when we went Kwamrewa for her burial and everything, we were pinching each other with my big brother, Tapi, my cousin, Tapiwa, because we couldn't, we didn't understand crying, right?
00:45:02
Prudence
Hmm.
00:45:13
Prudence
Mm-hmm.
00:45:18
Bertha Musoni
We understood she wasn't coming back, but again, without us being shielded. So death was a part of the process. We were taught that from a very young age. So these helicopter parents now are, and sadly,
00:45:31
Bertha Musoni
It's our generation that's shielding their children from a lot of things, which then they're not experiencing as they're growing.
00:45:40
Prudence
Yeah, I think it becomes difficult as an adult to deal.
00:45:43
Bertha Musoni
Yes. To deal with that, to reconcile that, yes, yes.
00:45:46
Prudence
Yeah.
00:45:49
Bertha Musoni
But, okay, I want to pivot because we are kind of rolling up to the end.
Future Adventures at 50
00:45:53
Bertha Musoni
I don't want to end on a note about death.
00:45:53
Prudence
Okay.
00:45:56
Bertha Musoni
That's not what I want end.
00:45:57
Prudence
ah No, it's life.
00:45:59
Bertha Musoni
We want to end on life. 55, what do you have to look forward to? What's beyond? We just had a lovely time in Hawaii celebrating you.
00:46:09
Prudence
that is what my my life i mean that is my life my life i am i don't even know what i'm doing sitting in a house in chicago my life and thank god no it's actually quite warm i can put on shorts i think it's almost like 50 degrees outside it's about 11.
00:46:22
Bertha Musoni
is it snowing today?
00:46:31
Bertha Musoni
That is horrible because it's it's probably about 70-something in Hawaii. But anyway, I die i digress.
00:46:36
Prudence
ah Yes. yes so One thing that that is definitely for sure that I've always wanted, even from a young age, my mom wasn't so open to it when I was younger. It's travel.
00:46:50
Prudence
But I would always get a i'll get away with it because my then she'd be like, ask your dad. And my dad would be like, sure, why not?
00:46:57
Bertha Musoni
Mm-hmm.
00:46:58
Prudence
we When I was in Fumwan, had friends from like Zambia and Botswana that came to Zim for school. And when they went home for the holidays, you know, you don in they would invite me.
00:47:10
Bertha Musoni
in eventual
00:47:10
Prudence
And and we've once I got permission, I'd be gone. And you know what? I'm actually remembering one experience. My parents didn't even give me money to go because I told them I had it covered.
00:47:23
Prudence
Oh, God.
00:47:24
Bertha Musoni
ah prudence You've been doing these things from a very young age because...
00:47:24
Prudence
Yes. Yes. nobody yes
00:47:32
Bertha Musoni
She said I have it covered.
00:47:34
Prudence
But guess what? I did have it covered because the ambassador kubawana was driving back, was driving but his kids back. So he gave us a ride.
00:47:40
Bertha Musoni
So you knew you'd have a ride.
00:47:42
Prudence
i had a ride. And on the way back, um Dr. Tapera was coming back. I knew was going to be coming back home but just before Christmas and I would have a ride back.
00:47:53
Prudence
So... I asked him before I got on that car to Botswana and he was like, yeah, I'll be coming back. I can pick you up and cool. So all my pocket money that I had saved through the term, it was just to shop.
00:48:06
Bertha Musoni
you had it handled.
00:48:07
Prudence
Oh yeah, I didn't handle the girl.
00:48:08
Bertha Musoni
You had it handled.
00:48:09
Prudence
Am I not here at 50? That was when I was 14. was have all,
00:48:15
Bertha Musoni
Imagine the reckless lives they lived and here we are talking about we're 50.
00:48:18
Prudence
i have oh
00:48:19
Bertha Musoni
Huh?
00:48:20
Prudence
I have always lived like that.
00:48:20
Bertha Musoni
and
00:48:22
Prudence
I'm just, I mean, moving to Chicago has forced me to simmer down a little bit because the people I live with are scared all the time. But Mukai will tell you that we went to a new edition concert from Cincinnati on the bus to Dayton.
00:48:38
Prudence
Was it Dayton or Columbus? We had no idea where we were going because our ride stood us up.
00:48:43
Bertha Musoni
Like we heard about a concert and we're going.
00:48:46
Prudence
No, it was a new edition concert. Girl, it was a new edition concert. It was my first year in the U.S. I wasn't going to miss a new edition concert. We got on that bus, Mukain tour.
00:48:58
Bertha Musoni
Bobby wasn't shuffling on stage like I saw him a few months ago.
00:49:01
Prudence
No, you were and it wasn't like that. Bobby was still young. talking about 30 years ago. We're talking about 1995, 1996.
00:49:07
Bertha Musoni
Wow. Wow.
00:49:09
Prudence
We got on that bus. and after the And then she was asking me, how are we going to come back? I said, we'll figure it out. the
00:49:18
Bertha Musoni
After the concert, right now, let's go ahead and deal with what's at hand. concert is at hand.
00:49:23
Prudence
Oh my God. Guess what?
00:49:25
Bertha Musoni
oh Oh, my goodness.
00:49:25
Prudence
We hitchhiked back. And this guy, shame, poor father, he gave us a ride back. He was like, girls, this is a no-no. You must never hitch a ride from a strange man.
00:49:32
Bertha Musoni
See? See?
00:49:34
Prudence
I said, but you got your kids.
00:49:34
Bertha Musoni
Again.
00:49:35
Prudence
What you gonna do?
00:49:36
Bertha Musoni
This is where the blessed comes in right here.
00:49:37
Prudence
I didn't say that out loud, but was like, go
00:49:42
Bertha Musoni
way that you are blessed.
00:49:42
Prudence
girl.
00:49:43
Bertha Musoni
But Prudence, I am wishing you many, many travel adventures from this time and beyond.
00:49:49
Prudence
Oh yes. Oh yes.
00:49:52
Bertha Musoni
But I am so grateful that you agreed to come Probably will have you back on again sometime soon. But I really do appreciate you coming on today.
00:50:03
Prudence
thank you for this it's you know there are lots of things that we don't think about on a daily basis thank you for asking i appreciate that
00:50:05
Bertha Musoni
Any words of advice?
00:50:10
Bertha Musoni
You're welcome. You're welcome. That's what this this platform is for. you know you'll You probably are going to have somebody else think about something they haven't thought about.
00:50:21
Bertha Musoni
but Hopefully somebody forgives their parents, gives them grace, be able to recognize.
00:50:21
Prudence
girl oh yeah definitely parents you give them grace because i mean my kids they're calling me an ancestor already and i'm still alive come on
00:50:27
Bertha Musoni
Yes.
00:50:32
Bertha Musoni
Isn't that something? These people are so disrespectful.
00:50:35
Prudence
girl
00:50:35
Bertha Musoni
So disrespectful. They're like my ancestor. I'm like, and but okay, you know what? We're not even going to go there.
Living Authentically: Advice for All Ages
00:50:41
Bertha Musoni
But with that, do you have any advice to your 25-year-old self out there?
00:50:47
Prudence
yes yeah Yes, yes, yes. Girl, your life is your life, nobody else's.
00:51:00
Prudence
And it's not a dress rehearsal. You have one life to live, live it.
00:51:05
Bertha Musoni
I love it.
00:51:06
Prudence
leave it yes no don't wait for approval from anybody just do it if it gets you in trouble you do the time you take accountability for it but do you
00:51:07
Bertha Musoni
I love it. I love it. Don't wait for that particular age. Just live today.
00:51:20
Bertha Musoni
And do the time does not mean it has to be illegal.
00:51:23
Prudence
no no none no no no learn learn from it if if it doesn't add value learn from it exactly yeah
00:51:23
Bertha Musoni
Do the time as in, you know, you get sad for that moment. Learn from it. Thank you. Learn from it right there. Well, thank you so, so much. um Can't wait to talk to you again. And have a great 50th year.
00:51:39
Prudence
Joanne Gabbard- Actually, you know it's I was just one it's this is my 51st year now, but yeah we should have done.
00:51:45
Bertha Musoni
You know what? Goodbye.
00:51:47
Prudence
Gabbard- We should have done we should have done 50 50 activities last year because now i'm celebrating my 51st Christmas and everything i've celebrated my food Oh, I know wasn't yeah well yes.
00:51:47
Bertha Musoni
Goodbye. Because we we're not going to... No, we're not going to...
00:51:58
Bertha Musoni
Listen, 2025 is the 50th year from 1975. That's the way I'm looking at it.
00:52:06
Prudence
is finishing the 50th year.
00:52:08
Bertha Musoni
And that's okay.
00:52:08
Prudence
And if we talk about the nine months, I'll finish.
00:52:09
Bertha Musoni
Yours finished. Oh, Lordy Jesus. See, this is why I don't speak to engineers. Because now you're just bringing me the scientific side of blah. You know what? Prudence, goodbye.
00:52:19
Prudence
All right. Thank you, ma'am. Mama. Thank you, mom. I love you.
00:52:24
Bertha Musoni
Love you too.
00:52:24
Prudence
Bye.
00:52:25
Bertha Musoni
Bye.