What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People.
A storytelling podcast, with first-hand amazing stories presented by Scott Johnson and Meredith Hackwith Edwards. Each storyteller tells their own personal true story, with all the details of what happened. Animal attacks, plane crashes, mass shootings, and more – you'll hear what happened directly from the person who experienced it, and the inspirational outcome of how they came out on the other side.
238: Monica's unexpected wake-up
Monica was divorced, and now a single mom with two little kids. She wasn’t looking for a relationship.
Kevin was a nice guy, and he’d never been married.
When they first met, there was a chemistry between them, but Monica was reluctant. Fortunately, Kevin was persistent.
This is their story, and it’s a good reminder for all of us – when you have someone you love, be sure to appreciate the time you have with them now. Because sometimes the unexpected can change e...
237: Mariela's pregnancy got complicated
There’s really something pretty amazing about giving birth.
I mean, you are actually using your body to grow a whole new human, and then this new person comes into the world, and your whole life changes. For many people, being pregnant is a time filled with happy anticipation. You’ve probably heard people talk about this thing called the “pregnancy glow”, and it’s a real thing.
In spite of the discomfort, and nausea, and unusual food cravings and everything else that sometimes comes with having a baby inside you, the thought...
TQ51: What song always brings back a particular memory?
Every other 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:
What song always brings back a particular memory?
Links for this episode:
Meredith’s song: The Bare Necessities
https://youtu.be/6BH-Rxd-NBo?si=tmwDOPkc1f5s7w_T
Scott’s song: Free Fallin’
https://youtu.be/1lWJXDG2i0A?si=NoOtl0...
STAS - A Piece of Steak
Scott reads A Piece of Steak, by Jack London
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Hannah jumped into the lake
Sometimes it can be pretty amazing how one small decision can have a huge impact.
Mike Jaffe knows about that.
Mike was usually on his way to work in the morning when his wife, Sabrina, woke up their one year old daughter. He was also on his way home from work when Sabrina was putting her to bed.
But one Monday morning, he decided that the next day, Tuesday, he would go in to work late so that they could all have breakfast together.
On...
TQ50: What's your favorite smell?
Every other 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:
What’s your favorite smell?
Links for this episode:
Lucid dreaming:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dream
REAL phone numbers for any major company:
https://GetHuman.com
Jill Comes Clean:
...
Jen was held up at work
A lot of weird things can happen when you work in a retail store.
You can ask anyone who’s worked retail for a while, and they will have some stories. My daughter worked at a popular clothing store for a while here in Florida. She worked mostly around the fitting rooms. And she was constantly amazed – and annoyed – at the things people would do in those little rooms where you try on clothes. Oh yeah, some people would just leave the place a big mess. But there were other customers who took it a step fu...
Listen Now: Against The Odds
Humans are resilient. In our toughest moments, we will fight, we will struggle, and we will triumph...often against the odds.
In this immersive series from Wondery, host-adventurers Mike Corey and Cassie De Pecol will share thrilling stories of survival. From the daring rescue of a soccer team trapped in an underwater cave in Thailand, to a woman taken hostage by Somali pirates, these stories made headlines around the world.
Against The Odds will make you feel as though you’re living these experiences with our heroes as they push themselves to their limits.
L...
Tessi was raped in the rain
When you meet someone for the first time, do you trust them by default?
I like to think that I just assume the best of a stranger, until they prove they aren’t worthy of my trust. But that can be dangerous in some cases.
There were a couple of people who were partners in a business and they were looking for office space to rent. They searched online and found an ad for what looked like the perfect space. They met the owner there and he showed them around. They paid...
TQ49: When you just want to be left alone, where is your favorite place to be?
Every other 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:
When you just want to be left alone, where is your favorite place to be?
Links for this episode:
Merlin bird identification app:
https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/
Meredith’s Foot fetish episode
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6UinWG6euM0KCEK8L9wwbY?si=2QnDapn...
STAS 8: Tanya Skelton
STAS 8: Tanya Skelton
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iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”
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Listen now: Scamfluencers "Pharmacist Femme Fatale"
You never really know someone…especially online. In today’s world, the power of influence can be the quickest path to money and fame, and it often ends in ruin. These are the stories of the world’s most insidious Scamfluencers. And we are their prey. On Wondery’s new weekly series, join co-hosts Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi as they unpack epic stories of deception from the worlds of social media, fashion, finance, health, and wellness. These influencers claim to be everything from charismatic healers to trusted financial insiders to experts in dating. They cast spells over millions. Why do w...
Lemon was forced to decide
Sometimes you find yourself in a situation that you didn’t ever expect, and you are faced with a decision that you never thought you’d have to make.
Joe was an EMT in New York. He had just finished his evening shift, and he did what he always did after leaving work. He stopped by the local Dunkin’ Donuts for his regular nightly coffee. But this time was a little different – he happened to be carrying his newly acquired carbon monoxide detector with him.
When he entered the store, that detector s...
TQ48: What's something you tried once but would never do again?
Every other 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:
What's something you tried once but would never do again?
Links for this episode:
Joe Rogan and Theo Von try smelling salts:
https://youtu.be/xq9h2FSNIYM?si=RoEJGLTtmHYBj0qx
Bitwarden password manager:
https://bitwarden.com
Meredith’s sofa:
ht...
Lesli was saved by a neighbor
You and I make decisions, all day every day. But have you ever thought about being able to have a choice about how you die?
I mean, most people would probably prefer a method that’s quick and painless, so I guess we might want to have some say in the matter. But being put in that position of having to actually choose – in the moment – is not something that happens very often.
But that’s the situation Lesli was in. This is a Flashback episode, and Lesli told this story on the pod...
Tina escaped the exploding batteries
Have you ever been awakened in the middle of the night because something terrible was happening?
It’s definitely not a pleasant way to wake up. This happened to a 27 year old man named Nick, and he wrote about it on social media –
I was sleeping at my girlfriend’s house last night. Usually we pass out around midnight, but last night we didn’t get to sleep until around 1:30 or so. It was around 3am when I woke up and swear I saw someone’s head peeking in & staring at us through t...
TQ47: What's your favorite memory of your father?
Every other 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:
What's your favorite memory of your father?
Links for this episode:
Could AI Blackmail You? Meredith For Real episode
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7DQJmHWDjtHqwMledP8BVd?si=Dn9t9Us3TuKzasu1t1FFdA
Shark Tank
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_Tank
To Build a Fire
When I started this podcast more than seven years ago, the primary factor was based on just one fundamental concept: the impact of a good story.
For each What Was That Like main episode, you hear a story. The guest is telling the story of what happened. Many of the stories are traumatic, many include loss and grief, and there are those that are happy as well. Even the heavy stories often end on a positive note. But the common factor is that they are all things that actually happened. The guest is talking about a...
Vanessa lost her voice
How scary would it be, if you suddenly lost your ability to speak?
There was a story in the news about a man named Peter. When Peter was 73 years old, he had a stroke. He survived the stroke, but he found that he could no longer speak. And it looked like that condition was permanent, because after 4 years, he still had no voice.
But then, Peter was on vacation with his wife Carol, and their son Jonathan. And one day Peter just woke up, and he was able to speak again. He...
What past job did you hate the most?
Every other 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:
What past job did you hate the most?
Links for this episode:
No-tie shoelaces:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTF79TGF?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
Travel French Press mug:
https://www.amazon.com/Integrated-Leakproof-Insulated-Stainless-Hammertone/dp/B07L6N6J...
Raw Audio unlocked
I was traveling recently, and I got in this Uber and started talking to the driver, and when I heard his voice I said, “Kevin, you need to have a podcast!” I don’t know if he’ll do that, but he did graciously agree to record that quick opener for me, just before I got out of his car.
438 – keep that number in your head and I’ll come back to it in a minute.
By now you have probably figured out, this episode is not going to be the typical type of...
September 11 hero Betty Ong
Do you know, with certainty, how you would react in a time of extreme stress or crisis?
As a 22 year old woman in San Francisco, Betty had not yet decided on a career path. So, while she was figuring out what she wanted to do, she worked at the factory owned by her parents. The factory produced beef jerky. It wasn’t really her dream job, but it kept her busy at the time, and she also felt good about helping her parents in their business.
One day, Betty’s work...
TQ45: What under-$100 item has been the best thing you've bought?
Every other 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:
What under-$100 item has been the best thing you've bought?
Links for this episode:
Chris Moneymaker wins the 2003 World Series of Poker –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCkUImEGrMU
Meredith’s beach cruiser bike
https://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Huffy-Nel-Lusso-Cruiser-Bike-Adults-Ages-13-Years-Light-Blue/852840675?classType=VARIANT&from=%2Fsearch&s...
STAS 7: Geraldine Largay
Geraldine was alone on a 6-month Appalachian Trail hike, with a poor sense of direction.
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Bathroom emergencies
Quite a few of the episodes here on What Was That Like involve emergencies. Today we’re talking about a different kind of emergency.
If you’re new to the podcast, this is definitely not a typical episode. You might want to look through some of the past episode titles and pick one out that looks interesting.
But today is a little different. I’m in Dallas this week, hanging out with a bunch of my podcasting friends, so for this episode we’re kind of taking a break from the n...
TQ44: Who was your celebrity crush when you were young?
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:
Who was your celebrity crush when you were young?
Links for this episode:
How Deep Will You Go card game:
https://howdeepwillyougo.com/
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Taylor_Thomas
Valerie Bertinelli
https://en.wi...
Bill's daughter was murdered
Sometimes, you see a phone call coming in and you just know that something bad has happened.
I remember back several years ago, when my dad was still alive. He was in pretty poor health. He could still walk around, sort of, but it was with a walker, and it was very slowly. I’m the oldest of three sons, and of the three, I live the closest. It’s only about a 5 or 6 minute drive for me to get to my parents’ place, so if something happened, I’d be the one to get that call...
David couldn't find the cabin
My favorite author is Jack London. His style of writing paints a very vivid picture in my mind. As I read his stories, it feels like I’m right there in the middle of it. One of his most well-known works is titled To Build A Fire. This is the opening paragraph of that story.
Day had dawned cold and gray when the man turned aside from the main Yukon trail. He climbed the high earth-bank where a little-traveled trail led east through the pine forest. It was a high bank, and he...
TQ43: Describe one of your most memorable birthdays
Every other 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:
Describe one of your most memorable birthdays
Links for this episode:
Big thanks to Kiona for filling in for Meredith on this episode! Kiona’s podcast is Birth As We Know It, and you can get all of her information here:
https://BirthAsWeKnowItPodcast.com
Airtag...
STAS 6: Marlene Warren
Marlene answered the door, and there was a clown holding a gun.
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
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If yo...
Naseem was run over 3 times
If you have children, you’ve probably thought at some point, “Am I a good parent?”
It’s natural to question our own abilities sometimes. Do I spend enough time with my kids? Do they feel safe? Do they feel loved? Are they comfortable talking with me about anything that’s going on in their life?
My kids are adults now. When I think back to when they were growing up, there are things I would have done differently if I knew back then what I know now. But that’s not really fai...
TQ42: What crazy thing have you seen happen at a wedding?
Every other 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:
What crazy thing have you seen happen at a wedding?
Links for this episode:
Purchasing an AED from the Red Cross:
https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/organizations/purchase-aeds
AED on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Defibrillator-Portable-Automatic-Emergency-Companies/dp/B0DZTPSLYF/ref=sr_1_6
Tab...
Ross was shot while sleeping
In an ideal world, children should be able to trust their parents. After all, it’s the grown-ups in the family who are responsible for the kids. No child should ever have to worry about safety when mom and dad are around for protection - in an ideal world.
That’s the world Ross thought he was living in when he was 8 years old, with his older brother Ryan, who was 10. They were happy kids with no reason to be afraid. Until one night at their home in Charlotte, North Carolina, when his mother told his f...
Scott was locked up in a foreign jail
As human beings, we are often very protective of our own sense of personal justice – and injustice.
When I was a child, I had a teacher who – to me – seemed very unfair. If one of the kids in the class did something like write a bad word on the chalkboard, she would ask the entire class who did it. She really did her best to find the culprit, and carry out punishment.
But sometimes she just couldn’t figure it out. No one would admit it, and there wasn’t enough evi...
TQ41: What movie traumatized you as a kid?
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:
What movie traumatized you as a kid?
Links for this episode:
Costco figs:
https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/sunny-fruit-organic-sun-dried-figs%2C-40-oz.product.100362726.html
Blade Runner:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/
The Billings murders in Pensacola:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...
STAS 5: Amanda Eller
Amanda just wanted to go for a short trail run. Life had something else in store for her.
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
Spons...
Brandon is a 911 dispatcher
What do heart attacks, car accidents, and murder usually have in common? Most of the time, when any of these things happen, someone calls 911.
It’s one of the most reliable things we have – whenever there’s any kind of emergency, here in the US, we know we can just pick up any phone and dial 911 and get help. Even if it’s a phone that has no service.
This is an episode where I talk with someone who has an unusual job. My guest today is Brandon, and he’s been a 911 d...
What did you throw away that you wish you had kept?
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:
What did you throw away that you wish you had kept?
Links for this episode:
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo:
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering-Organizing/dp/1607747308/ref=sr_1_1
The Mortified Podcast:
https://getmortified.com/audio/podcast/
TQ39:
Listen now: Liberty Lost
In Evangelical homes across the United States, sex outside of marriage is a sin against God. So, when Abbi becomes pregnant at 16, her devout parents hide her away at the Liberty Godparent Home, a little-known facility for pregnant teens on the campus of Liberty University. The Home says it helps girls decide what comes next – whether that’s parenting their babies or placing them for adoption. But inside the facility, the girls hear a different message: God wants their babies to go to more “deserving” Christian couples. Some girls will find the strength to fight back. Others will have no choic...
Dan is a pre-prison consultant
There was a time in his life when Dan was in a pretty difficult situation. He was facing something that most people don’t ever have to go through.
Even though he was not a violent person, and he certainly was not any kind of career criminal, he made a bad decision and accepted a job that, looking back, he never should have taken. But he did. And that lead him to the tough spot he found himself in.
Dan was headed to prison. His plea deal meant he could get up t...
