The StoryCorps Mobile Tour returned to Fort Myers in February 2024 to record meaningful conversations with people in Southwest Florida about their lives.
Each Monday for the next several months, we’re highlighting some of the compelling stories from our fellow residents.
In this installment, we hear Lacey Martin interview who daughter, Zuzu, who was 5 years old at the time, about family, superpowers, dreams, and a broad array of career aspirations including veterinarian, author, women’s basketball coach, and a somewhat unconventional path to the presidency.
TRANSCRIPT:
JOHN DAVIS, HOST: Each Monday we’re featuring conversations recorded through the StoryCorps Mobile Tour stop in Fort Myers earlier this year. Today we hear Lacey Martin interview her daughter Zuzu who was five-years-old at the time. They talked about family, superpowers, dreams and a broad array of career aspirations including veterinarian, author, women’s basketball coach, and a somewhat unconventional path to the presidency.
ZUZU: We'll do a bunch of questions right now.
LACEY MARTIN: Okay, can I ask you some questions?
ZUZU: Yeah.
LACEY: Okay. First question: What's your favorite color?
ZUZU: That is blue.
LACEY: Blue. Why is blue your favorite color?
ZUZU: Because I used to like, like, purple, but then it kind of not really changed my favorite color a little bit. Then I started to like blue, and I like a lot of different colors, kind of like rainbow. That’s my favorite color, but the one that I like the most is blue.
LACEY: Blue. What makes you feel happy?
ZUZU: One thing that makes me very happy is, um, cuddling without pets, Chi Chi and Chinna, Rocky, one of our cats, and holding chickens. That's one thing that makes me happy.
LACEY: Yeah? Where is one place you want to visit that we haven't been yet and like anywhere in the whole world?
ZUZU: Maybe Kenya.
LACEY: Kenya, Africa?
ZUZU: Kenya,
LACEY: Kenya in Africa? Okay.
ZUZU: No, just Kenya, not Africa.
LACEY: Oh, okay. What makes our family special?
ZUZU: Because we're connected, and we all love each other and that's how we get connected.
LACEY: Yeah.
ZULU: And now, which means connected, that means we love each other.
LACEY: We all love each other. Do you know when your birthday is? It's okay if you don't know.
ZUZU: I don't really know that.
LACEY: It’s in September. September 17th.
ZUZU: September 17th is my birthday.
LACEY: Yeah, and you're going to be six.
ZUZU: And I'm going to be six because I'm five, so I'm going to be six.
LACEY: What do you want to do when you grow up?
ZUZU: I want to be a veterinarian and help animals, but I also want to be like, a basketball team thing, and it's only for women even if they…
LACEY: A basketball?
ZUZU: Like a coach.
LACEY: Coach.
ZUZU: The basketball coach, and even if they do the wrong thing, they don't get carried away. And actually, the woman that gets the most points wins. And if some woman get the points, the woman with a couple of points, and if the woman wins she gets to be president.
LACEY: Yeah?
ZUZU: And if some woman, couple woman get a couple points, then those woman can get to be president.
LACEY: Oh, yeah? So, the winner gets to be president?
ZUZU: Yeah.
LACEY: Is there a skill that you want to learn?
ZUZU: How to… how to write. Fast.
LACEY: Oh, like write your letters?
ZUZU: Yeah. I mean, like, how to write so I can like write books and stuff.
LACEY: Oh, you want to be a writer?
ZUZU: Yeah? Like that.
LACEY: Yeah. Oh, yeah. What's the hardest thing about being a kid?
ZUZU: That you have to do word searches.
LACEY: You don't like word searches? They're boring?
ZUZU: It's SO boring.
LACEY: Who is your hero? Like, who inspires you?
ZUZU: You.
LACEY: Me?!
ZUZU: I know you mean like a singer or something.
LACEY: Anybody. It can be anybody.
ZUZU: Veterinarians.
LACEY: Veterinarians?
ZUZU: They really inspire me, and that's why I want to do that job.
LACEY: They inspire you to help animals?
ZUZU: Yeah, but I also want to do the basketball thing too.
LACEY: Yeah? If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
ZUZU: To fly.
LACEY: To fly?
ZUZU: Yeah.
LACEY: What would you do with that superpower?
ZUZU: Or be invisible.
LACEY: Be invisible.
ZUZU: Yeah, so when you brush hair, you don't even know where I am and I can sneak away.
LACEY: You can sneak away when it's time to brush your hair?
ZUZU: Yeah, and you won't even know who I am. So, I can get around easier.
LACEY: You know what else would be a cool superpower?
ZUZU: What?
LACEY: To talk to animals.
ZUZU: Oh, that’s a good one too. Be invisible and talk to animals.
LACEY: Yeah. You could just live in the woods and have all your animal friends; Whisper in their ear. You want to know what I love about you?
ZUZU: Yes.
LACEY: I love that you are really funny, really fun to be around.
ZUZU: Wait! Wait, wait, wait wait. I'm kind, I’m smart and I’m strong and I'm also loved.
LACEY: You are!
ZUZU: I thought that was what you were going to say.
LACEY: You are all those things, and I love that about you too. Can I ask you one more question?
ZUZU: Yeah.
LACEY: Okay. If you saw a shooting star, what would you wish for?
ZUZU: A shooting star, you say?
LACEY. Yeah, like if we were sitting outside and you saw one in the sky…
ZUZU: I would wish for our home to be a farm, so we didn't have to move anywhere to be a farm.
LACEY: That we lived on a farm?
ZUZU: Like our home was a farm.
LACEY: And we had a whole bunch of animals.
ZUZU: Yeah. I know we already do, but like livestock.
LACEY: Oh, you want livestock? Okay Zuzu, thank you for having this conversation with me.
ZUZU: Thanks for having conversation with me. It was so fun.
LACEY: It was fun.
DAVIS: That was Lacey Martin interviewing her daughter Zuzu, who just turned six last week. Their conversation was recorded in Fort Myers through the StoryCorps mobile tour. Happy belated birthday, Zuzu! This is WGCU News.
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