Episodes

  • Every Tuesday, we grab a past question from the Facebook group and post some of your answers.

    The question for this episode:
    You get to have lunch with any living celebrity. Who do you choose?

    To check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.


    Sponsor deals:

    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/whatwas and get on your way to being your best self.

    Go to cookunity.com/What or enter code What before checkout for 50% off your first week.

    Go to seed.com/WHAT and use code 25WHAT to get 25% off your first month.

    Go to rakuten.com or get the Rakuten app to start saving today!

    To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • When I was a kid, I don’t think I knew anyone who had an actual security system in their home.
    It just wasn’t heard of. I’m sure they existed, but really, for most typical middle-class families, you just didn’t think a lot about someone breaking into your home.
    And we certainly never had the concept of a home invasion – you know, someone coming right through the front door, while you’re home and awake, with plans of theft or even violence.
    But these days, if there’s a knock on the door, everyone’s suddenly on high alert. Who’s at the door? In our house, we have the doorbell camera and we also have cameras all around the house. Because answering the door – literally opening the door to your house, to a stranger – can be a really dangerous thing to do.
    Annie knows this. As a young woman, she was home alone in her new place, and she heard someone knocking.
    She opened the door, and immediately regretted it.

    If you are a victim, you can contact RAINN 24/7 (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): 800-656-4673. Or you can chat with someone directly from their website – https://RAINN.org

    You can read Annie’s Victim Impact Statement here.

    Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
    https://WhatWasThatLike.com/171

    Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

    Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)

    Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.
    Try What Was That Like PLUS free:
    iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”
    Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app

    Sponsor deals:
    Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas.
    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/whatwas and get on your way to being your best self.
    Go to cookunity.com/What or enter code What before checkout for 50% off your first week.
    Go to Seed.com/WHAT and use code 25WHAT to get 25% off your first month.
    Go to rakuten.com or get the Rakuten app to start saving today!
    To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  • Every Tuesday, Scott and Meredith grab a past Tuesday Question from the Facebook group and answer it, and also talk about some answers submitted by listeners.

    The question for this episode:
    If you could make yourself twice as attractive, OR twice as intelligent, what would you choose?

    To check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.

    Sponsor deals:
    Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas.

    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/whatwas and get on your way to being your best self.

    Go to cookunity.com/What or enter code What before checkout for 50% off your first week.

    Go to Seed.com/WHAT and use code 25WHAT to get 25% off your first month.

    Go to rakuten.com or get the Rakuten app to start saving today!

    To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Have you ever had one of those moments in your life where your life just changed dramatically?
    Like, your life is suddenly divided into two chapters – before that moment, and after that moment.
    Well, that’s the kind of moment Justin had.
    Justin was adopted the day after he was born. So he never knew his birth mother. He was adopted immediately into a loving family who gave him a wonderful childhood and a great start in life.
    He always wondered about his birth mother, and he searched and searched for her. And at the same time, she was wondering about him, and hoping they would eventually connect again.
    Then, they finally found each other. This is the story of how that happened.
    And partway through our conversation, I surprised Justin with something. I love that part.
    This is a Flashback episode, and Justin told this story here on the podcast way back in episode #4. A LOT has happened with Justin since then, and you’ll hear him talk all about that right after our conversation.

    Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
    https://WhatWasThatLike.com/170

    Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.
    Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)

    Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.
    Try What Was That Like PLUS free:
    iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”
    Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app

    Sponsor deals:
    Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas. 
    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/whatwas and get on your way to being your best self.
    Go to cookunity.com/What or enter code What before checkout for 50% off your first week.
    Go to Seed.com/WHAT and use code 25WHAT to get 25% off your first month.
    Go to rakuten.com or get the Rakuten app to start saving today!
    To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Every Tuesday, we grab a past question from the Facebook group, then Meredith and Scott answer it and read some of the answers given by other listeners.

    The question for this episode:
    You just made a donation to your favorite cause (money or volunteer time) - what is that cause?

    To check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.


    Sponsor deals:

    Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas.

    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/whatwas and get on your way to being your best self.

    Go to cookunity.com/What or enter code What before checkout for 50% off your first week.

    Go to seed.com/WHAT and use code 25WHAT to get 25% off your first month.

    Go to rakuten.com or get the Rakuten app to start saving today!

    To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Do you know how you would react, in an emergency situation?
    The first time I remember being put to the test with something like this is when I was 18 years old. I was just driving, by myself, on a sort of rural road here in Florida one morning. And as I drove down this road, I could see something odd up in the distance. It was a car, off the road – and it was upside down.
    Probably most of us have approached accident scenes like this. You’ll see one or two cars that have obviously crashed into each other, and you see fire trucks, and police cars, and probably an ambulance or two, to take care of the injured people.
    But as I approached this upside-down car, there was none of that. No emergency vehicles, no one walking around, just no activity at all. So, as I pulled over and got out of my car, I kind of assumed that this must have just happened. And 18-year-old me was thinking, I’m probably going to go over to this car, and find dead people inside. Or, people that might be still alive but they’re badly injured. And this was before cell phones so I couldn’t just call it in.
    I walked over to the car and got down on my hands and knees and looked inside. And I was happy to find that there was no one in that car. Whoever was driving had apparently already left the scene. And a few minutes later, a state trooper rolled up. He told me that someone else had called it in an hour or so earlier, so he was there to check it out and make a report.
    There were a lot of people who saw that car and just kept driving. And I get that – seeing or dealing with a potentially traumatic situation is not for everyone. Honestly I wasn’t sure I wanted to deal with it either.
    My guest today, Jonathan, was put into an emergency situation like that once. He was the passenger in a moving car when he noticed that the driver, his cousin Paul, had passed out. They were gaining speed.
    And up ahead were pedestrians.

    Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
    https://WhatWasThatLike.com/169

    Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

    Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)

    Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.
    Try What Was That Like PLUS free:
    iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”
    Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app

    Sponsor deals:
    Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas.
    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/whatwas and get on your way to being your best self.
    Go to cookunity.com/What or enter code What before checkout for 50% off your first week.
    Go to Seed.com/WHAT and use code 25WHAT to get 25% off your first month.
    Go to rakuten.com or get the Rakuten app to start saving today!
    To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Every Tuesday, we grab a past question from the Facebook group, then Meredith and I answer it and read some of the answers given by other listeners.

    The question for this episode:
    If you had one “do-over” what past event would you spend it on?

    To check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.


    Sponsor deals:

    Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas.

    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/whatwas and get on your way to being your best self.

    Go to cookunity.com/What or enter code What before checkout for 50% off your first week.

    Go to seed.com/WHAT and use code 25WHAT to get 25% off your first month.

    Go to rakuten.com or get the Rakuten app to start saving today!

    To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • This is a quick episode to let you know that starting Tuesday, March 5, 2024 – we’ll be doing the weekly Tuesday Question episodes.
    Every week in the Facebook group, we have a new thought-provoking question. These questions always generate a lot of great discussion, and this weekly post has become very popular.
    Now, every Tuesday Scott Johnson (host of What Was That Like) and Meredith Hackwith Edwards (host of Meredith For Real: The Curious Introvert) will pick a question from the archives and give their answers, and discuss some of the answers given by other listeners.
    This is discussion that’s designed to make you think!
    The weekly Tuesday Question episodes are in addition to the regular podcast episodes – the What Was That Like podcast episode schedule will continue bi-weekly as it has for over 5 years.
    To check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.

    Sponsor deals:

    Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas.

    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/whatwas and get on your way to being your best self.

    Go to cookunity.com/What or enter code What before checkout for 50% off your first week.

    Go to seed.com/WHAT and use code 25WHAT to get 25% off your first month.

    Go to rakuten.com or get the Rakuten app to start saving today!

    To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • This episode is a little different from the norm.
    Usually we talk to someone who has experienced something really unusual. But every once in a while, I like to have a guest on who has an unusual job – a job that I find really interesting and have lots of questions about.
    So that’s what we’re doing here today. My guest is Julie – she works as a hospice nurse. She’s been doing this for many years, so she has lots of information, and lots of stories.
    Every one of us is unique as an individual, but we all have something in common – we are all going to die eventually. And in some cases, we might get a medical diagnosis that says we have a certain number of weeks or months left before that happens. Of course, it’s usually just a rough guess and not always accurate. But still, it’s a sobering thing to have a medical professional tell you that there are no more treatment options, and you’re probably approaching the end of your life.
    That’s often when hospice care enters the picture. So Julie told me all about that and what she does as a hospice nurse.
    And there was something I also found very interesting that Julie told me, about herself. She has a very specific fear – and it’s not one that I would have guessed, based on the type of work she does.
    Julie has a fear of dead people.

    If you’d like to contact Julie, her email is: [email protected]. She’s also in the Facebook group, where you should be too!

    Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
    https://WhatWasThatLike.com/168

    Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

    Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.
    Try What Was That Like PLUS free:
    iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”
    Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app
     
    Sponsor deals:
    Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas.
    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/whatwas and get on your way to being your best self.
    Go to cookunity.com/What or enter code What before checkout for 50% off your first week.
    Go to Seed.com/WHAT and use code 25WHAT to get 25% off your first month.
    Go to rakuten.com or get the Rakuten app to start saving today!
    To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • You ever watch a video on YouTube, or TikTok, and it shows someone walking right on the edge at the top of a very tall building?
    Or maybe they’re right at the edge of a cliff with a steep drop off, and they’re doing flips or some stupid thing, just to get views and show how fearless they are.
    Every time I see one of those, I get this weird feeling in my gut because I think about the risk that they’re taking, and the horrifying outcome if they make just one little mistake.
    I wasn’t always afraid of heights. As a kid, I was on the roof of our house all the time. But as an adult I fell off a roof, and since then – I avoid high places.
    That’s why I’ll most likely never go hang gliding. It actually does look like it would be an incredible experience, just flying silently through the air. But my mind would always go back to the thought of what could go wrong, and that kind of destroys the moment.
    My guest in this episode, Chris, went hang gliding and he found out exactly what could go wrong. It was his first time, and he was flying with an experienced hang gliding pilot. When they took flight, Chris realized he was not strapped in – his pilot had forgotten to attach him to the hang glider.
    This is a Flashback episode. Chris originally told this story a few years back here on the podcast, so after you hear his story I’ll play a recent conversation I had with him so you can hear what’s happened since then. And I asked him – have you ever gone hang gliding again?
    And hang around to the end, because I’ve recently discovered a podcast that I think you’ll really enjoy.

    The video of Chris hang gliding unattached -
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLBJA8SlH2w

    You can get Chris’s book on Amazon:
    https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Day-Fall-Chris-Gursky/dp/B0CFZQRSWJ/ref=sr_1_1

    Check out the Birth As We Know It podcast at KionaNessenbaum.com

    Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
    https://WhatWasThatLike.com/167

    Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

    Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)

    Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.
    Try What Was That Like PLUS free:
    iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”
    Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app

    Sponsor deals:
    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/whatwas and get on your way to being your best self.
    Go to cookunity.com/What or enter code What before checkout for 50% off your first week.
    Go to Seed.com/WHAT and use code 25WHAT to get 25% off your first month.
    Go to rakuten.com or get the Rakuten app to start saving today!
    To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • There are some people whose dream is to live on a boat and just spend their life sailing around the world.
    In fact, there’s a company called Villa Vie that’s hoping a LOT of people want to do that. They have a cruise ship that holds 924 passengers, and they’re offering a never-ending cruise that goes around the world every 3 ½ years. You can actually buy one of the cabins – starting for as little as $100k. And you own that cabin! Kind of like a floating time share I guess. But you also have monthly maintenance fees – that’s $3500 per month. So far, more than 30 people have put down a deposit to purchase a cabin.
    I’ve gone on a few cruises, and it can be a great way to vacation. But I don’t think I’d want to spend years living on a cruise ship. Like most things, spending time at sea is wonderful, but in moderation.
    Today you’ll hear from my guest, Suzanne. When she was just 7 years old, she and her family got on a large sailboat and sailed away from their home in England. What she didn’t expect was to spend the rest of her childhood there.
    Suzanne told me about growing up on a boat, the good and the bad, and how she finally escaped.

    Suzanne’s book:
    Wavewalker: A Memoir of Breaking Free

    Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
    https://WhatWasThatLike.com/166

    Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

    Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)

    Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.
    Try What Was That Like PLUS free:
    iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”
    Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app

    Sponsor deals:
    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/whatwas and get on your way to being your best self.
    Go to cookunity.com/What or enter code What before checkout for 50% off your first week.
    Go to Seed.com/WHAT and use code 25WHAT to get 25% off your first month.
    Go to rakuten.com or get the Rakuten app to start saving today!
    To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • James had a childhood that would have indicated future success. He grew up in southern California, and his father is a scientist. His mother is a registered nurse. They lived in an affluent neighborhood in San Diego.
    But by the time he was in middle school, James began to display some mental health issues. He tried to take his own life at age 11.
    But he did graduate from high school, and also completed a bachelor’s degree at the University of California Riverside. He then decided to move to Colorado and work toward a graduate degree in neuroscience. By outward appearances, he seemed to be on the right track.
    But he continued to battle depression, and for several years, he was obsessed with the idea of killing. One day, he acted on that obsession. He walked into a movie theater with multiple guns and started firing into the crowd of people watching a movie.
    My guest today is Hali. She knows exactly what it’s like to be in that situation, to be the target of an active shooter. On that day, in Aurora, Colorado, Hali was in that theater.

    If you’d like to contact Hali, her email is [email protected].
    The Silent Retreat that Hali talked about is at dhamma.org.
    Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
    https://WhatWasThatLike.com/165

    Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

    Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)

    Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.
    Try What Was That Like PLUS free:
    iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”
    Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app

    Sponsor deals:
    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/whatwas and get on your way to being your best self.
    Go to cookunity.com/What or enter code What before checkout for 50% off your first week.
    Go to Seed.com/WHAT and use code 25WHAT to get 25% off your first month.
    Go to rakuten.com or get the Rakuten app to start saving today!
    To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • What would YOU do in this situation?
    Imagine you just got off an international flight, and you’re in a Subway restaurant, in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. You feel terribly sick. In fact, you have reason to believe that your condition could be fatal if you don’t get medical help quickly. Do you call 911?
    That’s the situation Luke was in, on a January day back in 2016. But he was hesitant to call for help, because he knew why he was sick. That terrible feeling he had in his stomach was from a little rubber balloon that had unexpectedly broken, and he was feeling the effects of some very high-quality cocaine saturating his internal organs.
    This is a Flashback episode. The Flashback episodes always come in between the regular new episodes, so we always have a new story every other Friday. Luke originally told this story in 2018 here on the podcast, so after we hear what happened, I have a little update conversation from when I connected with Luke again, just recently. You’ll never guess what he’s doing today.

    If you’d like to contact Luke, his email is [email protected].
    If you’re in Austin, Texas and need some remodeling work done, Luke’s company is Himes Remodeling and Renovation (https://mrhaustin.com/) – 330-749-5662.

    Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
    https://WhatWasThatLike.com/164


    Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

    Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)

    Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.
    Try What Was That Like PLUS free:
    iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”
    Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app

    Sponsor deals:
    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/whatwas and get on your way to being your best self.
    Go to cookunity.com/What or enter code What before checkout for 50% off your first week.
    Go to Seed.com/WHAT and use code 25WHAT to get 25% off your first month.
    Go to rakuten.com or get the Rakuten app to start saving today!
    To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • The second season of PROOF: Murder at the Warehouse takes Susan Simpson and Jacinda Davis to Manteca, CA where they reinvestigate the murder of 18-year-old Renee Ramos.
    On June 5, 2000, Ramos’ body was found buried under a pile of debris inside the shell of a new Home Depot building. Despite tips hinting at alternate suspects - tips that were ignored until now - Renee’s boyfriend, 18-year-old skateboarder Jake Silva, and Ty Lopes, the 33-year-old uncle of one of Jake's close friends were arrested for her murder. The questionable testimony of a 14-year-old boy was the key evidence used to convict them both to life in prison.
    Ty Lopes was killed in prison in 2011. Twenty-three years after Renee Ramos was murdered, Jake Silva remains in prison and maintains he is innocent. In season two of PROOF: Murder at the Warehouse, Susan and Jacinda travel the streets of Manteca, reinvestigating the case against Jake and Ty – and in the process uncover long-overlooked evidence about what really happened to Renee.
    Follow the case as Susan and Jacinda uncover long overlooked evidence about what really happened to Renee by listening to PROOF: Murder at the Warehouse wherever you get your podcasts.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • It’s amazing how quickly things can change.
    Michael lives with his wife, Mu, in New York City. He works for HP, and his job is to visit various locations around the city and do equipment repair. So he often finds himself on public transportation.
    One afternoon he was on the city bus, headed to his next job. He expected it to be a routine trip. But without any warning, he found himself trying desperately to get away from a man with a knife.
    And here’s something you need to know as you listen to Michael’s story. This conversation was recorded about 3 years ago. We weren’t able to go live with it until now, because we had to wait until the case had made it’s way through the courts and was resolved. That has now happened, so at the end I’ll give you an update on how it turned out.

    Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
    https://WhatWasThatLike.com/163

    Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

    Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)

    Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.
    Try What Was That Like PLUS free:
    iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”
    Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app
     
    Sponsor deals:
    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/whatwas and get on your way to being your best self.
    Go to cookunity.com/What or enter code What before checkout for 50% off your first week.
    Go to Seed.com/WHAT and use code 25WHAT to get 25% off your first month.
    Go to rakuten.com or get the Rakuten app to start saving today!
    To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • You’re listening to What Was That Like, and this is the last episode for 2023 – which means it’s our year-end Listener Stories episode.
    For each episode of the show, we have a guest come on and tell their story. It might be someone who survived an alligator attack, or a person who was shot multiple times, or maybe someone who went on The Price is Right and won the showcase – those are just a few examples of the over 160 past episodes.
    And then, at the very end of each episode, we have a Listener Story. This is a 5-10 minute short story that was sent in by a listener, just like you. It can be something sad, or amazing, or funny – just something that people find interesting. If you have a story like that, I’d love to have you send it in, and you might hear it on a future episode. You can email it to me at [email protected].
    And for the final episode of the year, we hear all of those stories played back to back – which is what we’re doing today.
    And I wanted to mention this - one of these stories sort of toward the end has a discussion of suicide – so just before that story plays, you’ll hear a little warning alert – when you hear that, if you want to, you can fast forward about 4 ½ minutes to the next story.
    So let’s get on with it – and please enjoy the Listener Stories of 2023.

    Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.
    Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)

    Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.
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  • Very few people have seen someone get hit by a car.
    There’s a movie from 1998 called Meet Joe Black. Kind of a weird film that combines romance and fantasy. I don’t remember being particularly impressed by the movie itself, but there’s one scene that’s stuck in my head forever. If you’ve seen it, you probably know the scene I’m talking about.
    Two young people, played by Brad Pitt and Claire Forlani, meet by chance at a coffee shop and there seems to be a rare connection between them. They leave the shop, and have a few awkward words on the sidewalk before they go their separate ways. The scene is quiet, the sound track is calm, and both of them are walking away, even though it’s obvious that they have thoughts and feelings that they want to express. As Brad Pitt stands in the street and watches her disappear around the corner, he wonders about what could have been, and suddenly we hear the blast of a horn, and a car hits him, causing him to fly into the air. Before he hits the ground, another car coming from the opposite direction hits him again. I just remember that scene because it goes from being so calm to such a horrific, jarring accident.
    My guess is that’s what it’s like for most people who witness an accident such as this, when a vehicle strikes a pedestrian. It’s often completely unexpected. Rosie, my guest today, can attest to this. She witnessed someone being hit by a car, and she was there afterward – trying to do whatever she could to help.
    But her story offers a different perspective about seeing this type of accident, because Rosie was in the car.
    If you’d like to contact Rosie, her email is [email protected]

    Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
    https://WhatWasThatLike.com/161

    Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

    Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)

    Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.
    Try What Was That Like PLUS free:
    iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”
    Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app

    Sponsor deals:
    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/whatwas and get on your way to being your best self.
    Go to cookunity.com/What or enter code What before checkout for 50% off your first week.
    Go to Seed.com/WHAT and use code WHAT to get 25% off your first month.
    Go to rakuten.com or get the Rakuten app to start saving today!
    To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
    Head to factormeals.com/wwtl50 and use code wwtl50 to get 50% off!
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  • On October 24, 2015, Sue was with her daughter Jessica, who was 14 years old at the time, and her friend Elise. Sue and Elise were skydiving buddies, and they were doing what they often did on a beautiful Saturday morning – they were going to go jump out of a plane. Since she was 14, Jessica wasn’t yet old enough to jump – but she just liked being with her mom and hanging out at the drop zone.
    The weather was beautiful, and everything was going fine, until Sue got to about 5000 feet. She tried to make a quick turn just before landing, and things went terribly wrong.
    Obviously, Sue made it through that ordeal. But to say she “survived” is a huge understatement. She came back stronger than ever.
    This is a Flashback episode. Sue originally told her story on the podcast back in 2019. After you hear about her skydiving crash, I’ll play a recent conversation I had with her about what’s going on with her now. Spoiler alert – she’s still doing some amazing things.

    Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
    https://WhatWasThatLike.com/160

    Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

    Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)

    Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.
    Try What Was That Like PLUS free:
    iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”
    Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app
     
    Sponsor deals:
    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/whatwas and get on your way to being your best self.
    Go to Seed.com/WHAT and use code WHAT to get 25% off your first month.
    Go to rakuten.com or get the Rakuten app to start saving today!
    To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
    Head to factormeals.com/wwtl50 and use code wwtl50 to get 50% off!
    For a limited time, save $10 on your first StoryWorth purchase when you go to StoryWorth.com/what
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • One of the things I really try hard to avoid is any flying, stinging insect.
    When I was a little kid, we lived in a pretty rural area in central Ohio. We had a big yard so my brothers and I were outside playing all summer. And of course there were bees. I was old enough to know not to mess with them, but my next youngest brother, Steve, hadn’t really learned that yet. So sometimes I would show him that nice little flying thing – a regular honey bee – and encourage him to go and catch it in his bare hands. And he did. The funny thing is, I don’t remember him ever getting stung when he caught them. And whenever I saw something like that flying around, like a wasp or a hornet, I quickly left the area and found someplace else to play.
    Steve did get stung in a few places once when we were camping though. He happened to step on a bumblebee nest in the ground, and they weren’t too happy about that. He got stung a couple of times on his face so he was swollen up for a few hours. No allergic reaction though.
    My guest today is Danna. She can tell you about getting stung. And it wasn’t just her – her two kids, and their large dog were the targets of some pretty angry yellow jackets.
    They’re all okay now, but it was an afternoon of chaos.

    You can see pictures of Danna and her family – and Rocket – here:
    https://WhatWasThatLike.com/159

    Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.
    Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)
    Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.
    Try it free:
    iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”
    Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app

    Sponsor deals:
    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/whatwas and get on your way to being your best self.
    Go to Seed.com/WHAT and use code WHAT to get 25% off your first month.
    Go to rakuten.com or get the Rakuten app to start saving today!
    To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
    Head to factormeals.com/wwtl50 and use code wwtl50 to get 50% off!
    For a limited time, save $10 on your first StoryWorth purchase when you go to StoryWorth.com/what
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • I’m Scott, the host of What Was That Like. And this is a bonus episode.
    Normally, on this podcast you would hear someone talking about the time they witnessed a murder, or when they escaped a cult, or when they were swimming and they lost their leg to a shark attack. Those are all actual past episodes, and there are currently over 150 of them to binge.
    But we’re doing something a little different in this episode.
    You’ve heard me talk about the private Facebook group. That’s where we discuss each new episode, as well as past episodes, but we talk about a LOT of other things in there. Every Tuesday I post a new question – something that makes you think. And with almost 6000 people in that group, we get a lot of answers. The discussions we have in there are amazing. You can join for free at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.
    Well, not too long ago, I posted this question: What’s something that happened at work that you’ll never forget?
    And wow, did the work stories come pouring in. Turns out, a lot of weird stuff happens on the job! So I asked some of the people who answered that question to record their answer and send it to me. What you’re about to hear are those work stories.
    And a content warning about the first story – it involves a dog who has a seizure and doesn’t survive. I put that one at the beginning, so when you hear that story start, you can fast forward about 3 minutes to the start of the next story if you want to.
    So I hope you enjoy listening in on what happened at work.

    Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
    https://WhatWasThatLike.com/158

    Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

    Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)

    Sponsor deals:
    Go to rakuten.com or get the Rakuten app to start saving today!
    To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
    Head to factormeals.com/wwtl50 and use code wwtl50 to get 50% off!
    What Was That Like is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/whatwas for 10% off your first month.
    For a limited time, save $10 on your first StoryWorth purchase when you go to StoryWorth.com/what
    Head to airdoctorpro.com and use promo code WHAT and receive UP TO 39% off or UP TO $300 off
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices