What Was That Like - a storytelling podcast with amazing stories from real people
281 episodes - English - Latest episode: 24 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1.2K ratingsA 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.
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Episodes
149: Stories from September 11
September 08, 2023 07:00 - 1 hourSeptember 11, 2001 was a tragic day in America. The terrorist attacks caused the deaths of 2,996 people in New York, the Pentagon, and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Thousands more were injured. And many people since then have died from illnesses caused by exposure to toxic materials at the World Trade Center crash site. Here on the podcast, each year in September we dedicate an episode to hearing stories from people who were there and witnessed the tragedy. In this episode, you’ll hear from...
148: Kat was given to a cult at 13
August 25, 2023 07:00 - 1 hourI live about 20 minutes from world-famous Clearwater Beach. I do bike around that area sometimes but that’s about the only time I go there, because I’m not much of a beach person. But people come from all over the world to sit in that sand, because that’s one of the things Clearwater is known for. But there’s something else that makes this city famous. Clearwater, Florida is also the worldwide spiritual headquarters of the Church of Scientology. Back in 1975, there was a Scientology-founded g...
Introducing LISK: Long Island Serial Killer
August 12, 2023 08:00 - 55 minutesThis weekend edition of What Was That Like highlights a top true crime podcast called LISK: Long Island Serial Killer. Since 2017, the show has covered a decade-long cold case set in Long Island. The podcast recently went viral after a suspect was arrested in connection to the case. If you enjoyed this episode, listen to LISK: Long Island Serial Killer wherever you listen to podcasts or click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
147: Gregg fell into a crevasse
August 11, 2023 07:00 - 43 minutesThere’s a phrase I find interesting. It’s often used to describe a person who seems to have an unusual power in different ways. The phrase I’m thinking of is “force of nature”. When I hear “that man, or that woman, is a force of nature”, it makes me think of someone who comes in like a whirlwind, with a clear objective, and nothing is going to stand in their way. And that description makes sense, because that’s how nature is sometimes. Here in Florida, we’re about to go into that magical time...
146: Chris lost his hands in a corn picker
July 28, 2023 07:00 - 1 hourThere are a lot of things we have that are amazing, but we take them for granted. Have you ever seen those videos online where the person being recorded is color blind? And their family gets them those specially-made sunglasses that actually allow a person to see colors, even though they have never been able to before. Of course, everyone in the family wants to see their reaction the first time they put on those glasses. So they all go outside, and there are usually some brightly colored ball...
145: Collier testified against a murderer at age 12
July 14, 2023 07:00 - 1 hourYou know when people are asked about what their biggest fear is, a lot of the answers are what you’d expect – fear of heights, fear of spiders, and so forth. Humans are afraid of a lot of things. But when people are asked what their single BIGGEST fear is – the big one that usually comes out as number one is fear of public speaking. For a lot of people it even ranks higher than their fear of death. When Jerry Seinfeld heard about that, he correctly observed that that means if that person is a...
144: Jane was stabbed 27 times
July 07, 2023 07:00 - 1 hourHey, this is Scott, and you’re listening to What Was That Like. But this is not a regular episode of What Was That Like. I’ve got a really cool BONUS episode for you today. What you’re about to hear is the first episode in a new podcast series called Dark Valley. This series is investigation-oriented, and it’s about as True-Crime as you can get. You’re gonna learn about America’s “unknown serial killer” – or by the name given to him by law enforcement and the media: The Connecticut River Vall...
143: Samantha got a surprise baby
June 30, 2023 07:00 - 1 hourDo you ever think about the children in your state who are currently in foster care? Here in Florida, there are about 19,000 children living in foster care. That’s a lot of kids. And in that group, there are about 500 children who have no identified families. Can you imagine how scary and lonely that must be, to be a child with no family at all, and only the government to try to take care of you and keep you safe? There are a lot of different situations that can lead to that. But whatever hap...
Announcing - What Was That Like Plus
June 27, 2023 07:00 - 15 minutesHey, this is Scott. This is just a short episode in between the regular episodes – I guess you could call it an In-Between-isode. What I have for you today is an announcement about the podcast, followed by a Listener Story – and the Listener Story is from someone you’ve heard from before. But first, I want to give you an update on a new feature that’s now available in the What Was That Like podcast. This is a new subscription program that allows you to get rid of the ads that get inserted int...
142: Traci's husband was arrested
June 23, 2023 07:00 - 1 hourHere on the podcast, I talk to people who have been through extremely unusual situations. Like witnessing a murder, or being attacked by a monkey, or winning the showcase on The Price Is Right. We get to hear those stories first hand, from the person who experienced it. In this bonus episode, I want to introduce you to another podcast that has a very similar format, which means you’re gonna want to subscribe. This podcast is called The Only One in the Room, and the host is Laura Cathcart Robb...
141: Jennifer fought off a rapist
June 16, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour(Content warning – this episode includes discussion of sex trafficking, and graphic depiction of sexual attack. If you’re in the car with the kids, you might want to save this one for later.) The situation that Jennifer found herself in is one that no one ever expects. She was away from home, and she didn’t really know anyone. On top of that, she was an American in Turkey and she didn’t speak much of the language. And her attacker was strong, and determined. But what came to her during this t...
140: Flash handled the squatters
June 02, 2023 07:00 - 1 hourThere’s a problem that’s becoming a bigger and bigger issue for anyone who owns a home. The problem is squatters. If you’re not familiar with the term, “squatting” is when a person – or even a group of people – figure out that a house is not being occupied. Maybe the owner is trying to sell it, or in some cases, the owner lives there but is just away from home on a vacation. When the squatter determines that no one is home, they just go in – usually by breaking in – and take up residence. The...
139: Tricia smuggled her dad into Disney World
May 19, 2023 07:00 - 1 hourEvery tourist destination wants their guests to have a happy experience, but few places do that as well as Disney World in Orlando, Florida. When Disney World visitors were surveyed, 75% said they were very satisfied with their experience. Did you know, the Magic Kingdom Park at Disney World gets around 21 million visitors every year? And if you combine all of the Disney parks, it’s around 58 million people each year. And people keep coming back. And for anyone with kids, it’s a no-brainer – ...
138: Raw Audio: three 911 stories
May 12, 2023 07:00 - 42 minutesYou’re listening to the What Was That Like podcast, but this is not a regular episode. This is a bonus Raw Audio episode. Usually on this show I talk to a regular person who’s been through something really unusual. Like they got attacked by an alligator, or they were buried in an avalanche, or they witnessed a murder. That person comes on the show and tells the story of what happened, first hand. That’s not what we’re doing today. This bonus episode is called Raw Audio. The Raw Audio episodes...
137: Alex secretly climbed the Great Pyramid
May 05, 2023 07:00 - 1 hourThe Greek historian Herodotus wrote about seven great architectural structures. That list became known as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Of those seven achievements, four were destroyed by earthquake. Two were destroyed by fire. Only one is still standing – the Great Pyramid of Giza, in Egypt. This pyramid today has a height of 450 feet, or 137 meters. It was the tallest structure in the world for over 3800 years. And now, it’s a popular tourist destination. People from all over the ...
136: Sarah's arrest photo went viral
April 21, 2023 07:00 - 1 hourContent warning – this episode includes discussion of drug use and suicide. For anyone who creates online content, the big goal is to have your content go viral. Whether it’s a Tiktok or YouTube video, an Instagram reel, or a Facebook photo – when something goes viral, the person who posted it is kind of quasi-famous for a few days or a week. This happened to me once, several years ago. I posted a video on Facebook, and it just took off like crazy. It wasn’t even a video that I created person...
135: Bonus - the James Bigby murders
April 14, 2023 07:00 - 40 minutesThis is Scott, and this podcast is What Was That Like. This is the show where I usually have a guest come on and talk about something they experienced, that was extremely unusual. Like crashing a skydive, or getting shot in a mass shooting, or finding a baby in the New York City subway, or winning a showcase on The Price Is Right. The guest comes on the podcast, and tells the details of what happened, first hand. This episode is different. In this one, I’m going to talk about a man who lived ...
134: Lex couldn't stop bleeding
April 07, 2023 07:00 - 1 hourOn a Friday afternoon in 2022, Lex was at home, just doing some routine work on her laptop. It seemed like just a normal day. It did not turn out to be normal. In fact, what happened that day started Lex on a journey she never could have predicted. And by the way – the story you’re about to hear does not include any violence. But there is blood. A lot of blood. This is a short documentary that was made by Luke and Jasper (two of Lex and Meg’s sons) about their family and their pet rabbit, Sh...
133: Ashley's daughter fell in the pool
March 24, 2023 07:00 - 54 minutesProbably the most difficult thing for a parent to experience is losing a child. It’s often been said that the English language fails us in this area. A woman who loses her spouse is called a widow. If a man is the one who survives his spouse, he’s a widower. A child who has lost their parents is called an orphan. But why isn’t there a word for a parent whose child has died? Well, it turns out there actually is a word for that. “Vilomah” is a Sanskrit word that’s been used in Hindu philosophy ...
132: Bonus - the Listener Stories from 2021
March 17, 2023 07:00 - 1 hourThis is a bonus episode of What Was That Like. If you’re new to the show, this is not normally what you’ll hear. What usually happens is I’ll have someone come on the show to tell the story of something that happened to them. Something that was very unusual. At this point we have over 130 episodes, and a huge variety of stories – animal attacks, plane crashes, mass shootings, all kinds of stories. And at the end of each episode, we have a Listener Story. This is a story that is sent in by a...
131: Jacqueline was attacked by dogs
March 10, 2023 08:00 - 56 minutesIt’s hard for me to imagine not loving dogs. But that’s the way some people are, and it’s usually pretty easy to spot someone like that. I remember one time we were visiting my parents and of course we brought our two little Yorkies with us because they like to go everywhere we go. They are Lilly and Fenway. And Fenway is a little guy, only about 7 pounds, and he is the social one. He just loves to meet new people, and of course he just charms everyone with his cute little face. Well, not e...
130: Anika's apartment was destroyed
February 24, 2023 08:00 - 1 hourYou know, there’s just something about Friday night. For a lot of people, it’s the end of the work week, and you can just sort of chill out. You don’t have to worry about getting a good night of sleep, because you don’t have any particular reason to get up early on Saturday. So Friday night is often when many people just kind of exhale, maybe order some food to be delivered, see what’s on Netflix or Hulu, and just kind of zone out. Maybe even fall asleep on the couch – because who cares, you...
129: Sally watched her house burning
February 10, 2023 08:00 - 1 hourContent warning: this episode includes discussion of suicide. I had a scary experience with fire when I was a kid. I grew up in Ohio, in a little town called Westerville. At the time I was probably around 12 or 13. This was on a Saturday, and I was hanging out with some of my friends from around the neighborhood. We were just doing stuff that kids do, mostly setting up ramps and jumping our bikes over them. At some point we were walking around, in kind of a wooded area. Not the deep forest...
128: Jayna's hotel was a crime scene
January 27, 2023 08:00 - 1 hourJayna was excited – she was about to get married. She works in the wedding industry, so she knows how to handle every detail. She also hired a wedding planner. Shayna knows from experience that on the day of the wedding, there are lots of different things happening, and you have to anticipate problems and avoid surprises. She never could have predicted that the events of that day would include a fire alarm, a gunman, and having her wedding story featured on the national news. If you’d like to...
127: Bonus - the Listener Stories from 2022
January 20, 2023 08:00 - 2 hoursThis is not a regular new episode Friday. And that’s because this is not a regular new episode. This is a BONUS episode. If you’re a regular listener to the show, you probably know that we end every episode with a Listener Story. I started doing this about a year and half, maybe two years ago, and it’s become a really popular segment. The Listener Stories are just short stories, like 3-5 minutes or maybe a little longer, that have been sent in by a listener. Everyone has a story they could se...
126: Hayley witnessed two murders
January 13, 2023 08:00 - 1 hourThe concept of guilt is an interesting thing to ponder. Sometimes it’s justified and rational to feel guilty. If a young child breaks a rule but doesn’t want to admit it and get in trouble, the look of guilt might be all over their face and easy for a parent to read. They did something wrong, and they know it. Adults are often the same way. If you do something to offend someone, or you knowingly break the law, you feel guilty. Because you are guilty. But sometimes we feel that way, even if we...
125: Kylie heard a gunshot
December 30, 2022 08:00 - 1 hourThis episode comes with a content warning. The story includes discussion of sexual assault, addiction, and suicide. Stephen Covey is a popular author, and he wrote the best-selling book titled The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Great book, highly recommended. In that book, Covey tells a personal story that has come back to my mind many times in the years since I first read that book. This is what he wrote: “I remember a mini-paradigm shift I experienced one Sunday morning on a subway ...
124: Josh was struck by lightning
December 16, 2022 08:00 - 1 hourAlmost since the day I had the idea to start this podcast, I’ve wanted to talk to someone who has been struck by lightning. I mean, the thought that you could just be going about your day, maybe walking through a parking lot to go get some groceries, or even at home, maybe in your kitchen – and suddenly you could be hit by 300 million volts. And you never saw it coming. You might wake up a few minutes later – or maybe several hours later – and still not know what exactly happened, until someo...
123: Alice's brother went missing
December 02, 2022 08:00 - 1 hourContent warning – this episode includes discussion of self-harm, addiction, and suicide. Have you ever had to deal with the problem of someone you know, like a family member or a friend, who’s gone missing? There’s this weird mixture of emotions, like frustration, because you just don’t know where this person is. And it’s also scary, because you don’t know what happened. My mom got a little taste of what that’s like years ago. And the person that was missing was me. I was 5 years old, and it ...
122: Ella was trampled by an elephant
November 18, 2022 08:00 - 1 hourI love all animals, but one of my favorites is the elephant. Couple of things you might not know about elephants: When you see a herd of elephants, the leader of that family group is one of the females. When a male elephant is born, he sticks around with the family until he’s around 12 years old, then he heads off on his own. The female elephants will usually stay with the family herd their whole lives. And even though elephants are the largest land mammal, they’re actually pretty fast – they...
121: Bonus episode - Raw Audio WWTL 121
November 11, 2022 08:00 - 35 minutesIt’s time for a bonus episode! You’ve heard me talking about the Raw Audio episodes, and today you’ll hear a full, extra Raw Audio episode for yourself. Here’s the deal. If you like the What Was That Like podcast, you’re welcome to support the show, and like a lot of podcasters, that’s done through Patreon. All the details are at WhatWasThatLike.com/support. There are different levels of support, so you can do whatever you’re comfortable with. But if you sign up for $5 a month, you get access...
120: Todd was stranded in a snowstorm
November 04, 2022 07:00 - 59 minutesNo matter where you live, there’s the possibility of experiencing some kind of bad weather. We lived in Maine for about 13 years. And since I was self employed and could pretty much dictate my own schedule, I decided to work part-time for my town’s EMS service. So I got trained in emergency response, and was often called out when someone called 911 with a medical emergency or an injury. And usually I was working with a paramedic, who was pretty much in charge of the situation because they wer...
119: Ashley's baby couldn't breathe
October 21, 2022 07:00 - 1 hourI want you to take a moment, and think about the concept of trust. Often, trust is based on experience. When you go to a restaurant you really like, and you order your favorite dish, you trust that the ingredients they use aren’t outdated and spoiled. This is an easy thing, because you’ve done it hundreds of times before, at lots of different restaurants. When I need to have some work done on my car, I’m fortunate to have a mechanic who I can trust. I need to know that not only the repair was...
118: Fabiana won The Price Is Right showcase
October 07, 2022 07:00 - 1 hourWhen it comes to television game shows, there are just a few that have been around for a very long time. A couple of those are Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy!. These shows have really become a part of American culture. But there’s another one that’s been on the air even longer than those two, because it’s currently the longest running game show in American TV history. That show is The Price Is Right. Chances are, you’ve probably watched it at some point. Just about everyone has. But there are...
117: Summer was stuck in Peru
September 23, 2022 07:00 - 57 minutesFor a lot of Americans, the idea of traveling – being away from home – is just a routine part of life. Whether it’s a business trip or a vacation, getting on an airplane to go somewhere is pretty common. Most of us don’t think twice about it. But that’s not everyone. A recent survey of 2000 Americans revealed some interesting numbers. 13% have never flown in an airplane. 40% of those questioned said they have never left the country. And 11% of these people said they have never even been outsi...
116: Two New York City 9/11 stories
September 09, 2022 07:00 - 1 hourThis weekend will mark the 21st anniversary of the terrorist attacks that happened on September 11, 2001. We all remember where we were when we first started to hear what was happening. It was such a big and horrible thing, the memory sticks with us. That might be why it seems like it wasn’t really that long ago. But think about it like this. A new baby that was born that year, is now a senior in college. There’s a whole generation who didn’t experience 9/11 in real time. They only know what...
115: ShaNae handled a 911 call
August 26, 2022 07:00 - 1 hourMost people don’t go to work each day with the concern of going through something that traumatizes them. If your job is in the medical field, such as in a hospital, you might be saddened when a patient you’ve been working with ends up dying. Or if you work in retail, you know there’s going to be the occasional angry or irrational customer who really gets your blood pressure up. Here in America, we have the unique problem of school teachers being traumatized because of the very real threat of ...
114: Martine witnessed horror at 16
August 12, 2022 07:00 - 58 minutesDo you remember the stress of being a teenager? As an adult, you might look back on that time in your life with fondness. You had no bills to pay, and no worries about where to live, because you were still at home with your parents. You didn’t have to buy groceries – the food was just there. You could get a job if you wanted some extra spending money, but you didn’t really HAVE to work. Why didn’t we appreciate that time more? But in reality, teenagers DO worry about things. They worry about ...
113: Bonus episode - They Knew
August 05, 2022 07:00 - 1 hourI know, you might be surprised to see What Was That Like show up in your podcast feed today. New podcast episodes come out on Fridays every two weeks, and today is not one of those “new episode” Fridays. What I have for you today is a bonus episode, because I want to introduce you to another podcast that I think you’ll love, because I know how much you enjoy hearing people tell their very personal stories. I love those stories myself, which is why I’m subscribed to this show. The podcast is ...
112: Courtney's mom chose when to die
July 29, 2022 07:00 - 1 hourOne of the most difficult things we go through in life is when a close friend or a family member dies. We all know it’s gonna happen to a lot of the people we know and love, but it’s still unpleasant, and uncomfortable, and sad. We even try to avoid using the word “die” – somehow it doesn’t sound quite so bad if we instead say, “they passed away”. But as awful as death can be, there are times when it’s actually a relief. What if your loved one has a terminal disease, and they’re just in pain ...
Preview of Who Killed Daphne?
July 18, 2022 07:00 - 6 minutesWhen a car bomb kills Daphne Caruana Galizia on the beautiful Mediterranean island of Malta, the hunt for her killers exposes secrets with consequences that go far beyond its shores. In the aftermath of her death an international team of journalists comes together to continue her work. Along the way they start to uncover clues that might lead to her killers. From Wondery, comes a new story about power, corruption and one woman’s fight for the truth. Hosted by investigative reporter Stephen G...
111: Margy's dad was a hoarder
July 15, 2022 07:00 - 1 hourI’m really happy to bring you this episode today, but it comes with a content warning, because it includes discussion of suicide. For a long time, I’ve wanted to have a story about hoarding. This is something I personally find really interesting. We’ve all seen pictures or videos of the inside of the home of someone who’s a hoarder. And of course, the reality TV show, Hoarders, puts it right out there. And everyone sees that and wonders, how does someone allow their environment to get to that...
110: Jen is a professional bridesmaid
July 01, 2022 07:00 - 52 minutesIf you’ve listened to this podcast for a while, you know we’ve covered a lot of pretty horrifying stories. Mass shootings, animal attacks, plane crashes – we’ve heard the first-hand stories of the people who have actually experienced those things. And when we talk about those stories, we do talk about the tragedy of what happened, but I also like to include the positive side – how the guest recovered from it, what they learned, how they’re helping others who might have gone through a similar...
The Execution of Bonny Lee Bakley
June 20, 2022 07:00 - 6 minutesOn May 4, 2001, Bonny Lee Bakley was found fatally shot in a car on a dark North Hollywood street. The prime suspect was her husband, famed actor Robert Blake. But Bonny, a longtime con artist, had plenty of enemies. She left behind a trail of men she’d scammed, and she had a volatile relationship with Christian Brando, the troubled son of movie star Marlon Brando. Not since the O.J. Simpson case had the eyes of the nation been so fixated on a homicide. The search for Bonny’s killer took de...
109: Evan was buried in an avalanche
June 17, 2022 07:00 - 1 hourThese days, snowboarding is really popular in the colder climates, and of course everyone knows what it is. But it’s actually a relatively new sport, especially when compared to traditional snow skiing. The very first snow skis are dated all the way back to around 8000 BCE, and were found in northern China. They were basically long pieces of wood, like 6 feet, which is about 2 meters, and were covered with horsehair. Snowboards, on the other hand, have come about much more recently. Jake Burt...
108: Kennedy hung from a power line
June 03, 2022 07:00 - 1 hourEMTs and other first responders see a lot of things. Sometimes, they arrive on scene and find a situation that they never expected to see. In Port Orange, Florida, paramedics were called to the scene of a car accident on Interstate 95. Only one car was involved. When they arrived, they discovered that something had crashed through the windshield of the car and hit the driver in the head. That “something” was still inside the car. It was a large turtle. The driver of the car survived, and surp...
107: Jill was kept in a basement
May 20, 2022 07:00 - 1 hourContent warning - this episode includes descriptions of sexual violence and domestic abuse. Listener discretion is advised. Here in the United States, slavery is illegal. The 13th Amendment to the US Constitution was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865 and it was ratified later that same year. That amendment reads in part “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.” But th...
106: Tessi heard a tree fall
May 06, 2022 07:00 - 1 hourI live in a wonderful little town in Florida, called Safety Harbor. It’s in the Tampa Bay area. And one of the things that people love about this place is that there are lots of big, shady trees. There’s one particular tree that everyone knows about. It’s a huge oak tree, called the Baranoff Oak, and it’s named after one of the early property owners here. This tree is estimated to be over 300 years old, and it’s huge – the diameter of the trunk is around 20 feet, which is almost 7 meters. And...
105: Jessica's kidnappers demanded $45 million
April 22, 2022 07:00 - 1 hourI find it so interesting that sometimes we can take what seems to be a really small action, but it ends up being something really big. Back in 1998, I was living in Maine with my wife and our two young kids. I was working at a regular office job. Then one day, I needed to have some printing done. This was before the days of the high-quality inkjet printers, so it was common to go to a local print shop and get whatever you needed to have printed. While I was paying for my stuff, I noticed a sm...
104: Jami was a juror in a murder trial
April 08, 2022 07:00 - 1 hourLike a lot of people these days, I work from home. And I really enjoy that. But many years ago, I had a more traditional job where I worked in an office building with other people. And there was a thing I liked to do that some of my co-workers thought was a bit odd. We got an hour off for lunch each day. And sometimes I’d go to the breakroom and eat, or maybe a few of us would get together and go have lunch at a local restaurant. Pretty common stuff. But what I did some days is get in my car...