What Was That Like - a storytelling podcast with amazing stories from real people

Zane was trapped on the hood of a car WWTL 15

January 18, 2019 08:00 - 34 minutes - 28.1 MB

On November 29, 2018, 50 year old Andrew Bush of College Station, Texas was driving his white Dodge Charger. Up ahead was a red light. Cars were stopped, waiting for the light to change, and one of those vehicles was a Ford pickup truck in the left turn lane. Witnesses say Bush didn’t even brake before slamming into the back of that truck. The driver of the pickup truck was 20 year old Zane Wallace, a Texas A&M college student, who was with his girlfriend Mackenzie. They were shaken up but...

15: Zane was trapped on the hood of a car

January 18, 2019 08:00 - 38 minutes

On November 29, 2018, 50 year old Andrew Bush of College Station, Texas was driving his white Dodge Charger. Up ahead was a red light. Cars were stopped, waiting for the light to change, and one of those vehicles was a Ford pickup truck in the left turn lane. Witnesses say Bush didn’t even brake before slamming into the back of that truck. The driver of the pickup truck was 20 year old Zane Wallace, a Texas A&M college student, who was with his girlfriend Mackenzie. They were shaken up but no...

Chris hung from a hang glider WWTL 14

January 04, 2019 08:00 - 39 minutes - 31.8 MB

Every year, thousands of people all over the world go hang gliding. Some people are experienced and pretty serious about the sport, and they own their own gliders and other equipment. And there are others who are just kind of curious about what it feels like to soar through the air silently, with the only sound being the wind in your face. Chris was in that second category. He and his wife Gail live here in Florida, and they were vacationing in Switzerland recently, and they booked a hang ...

14: Chris hung from a hang glider

January 04, 2019 08:00 - 43 minutes

Every year, thousands of people all over the world go hang gliding. Some people are experienced and pretty serious about the sport, and they own their own gliders and other equipment. And there are others who are just kind of curious about what it feels like to soar through the air silently, with the only sound being the wind in your face. Chris was in that second category. He and his wife Gail live here in Florida, and they were vacationing in Switzerland recently, and they booked a hang gli...

13: Jannike lay down on the railroad tracks

December 21, 2018 08:00 - 37 minutes

Four years ago, Jannike felt like a failure in every area of her life. She could not envision her circumstances getting any better, so she made the decision to end her life. She wrote good-bye letters to her siblings and her four children, then she went out after dark one night, found a railroad track to lie down on, and waited for the next train. Today, she’s a much happier person and loves her life. In our conversation, Jannike told me about that night on the train track, why her life did n...

Jannike lay down on the railroad tracks WWTL 13

December 21, 2018 08:00 - 33 minutes - 26.9 MB

Four years ago, Jannike felt like a failure in every area of her life. She could not envision her circumstances getting any better, so she made the decision to end her life. She wrote good-bye letters to her siblings and her four children, then she went out after dark one night, found a railroad track to lie down on, and waited for the next train. Today, she’s a much happier person and loves her life. In our conversation, Jannike told me about that night on the train track, why her lif...

Matt fell through the ice WWTL 12

December 07, 2018 08:00 - 28 minutes - 23 MB

Our story today takes place on the west coast of Finland. January 5, 2017 was a sunny winter day. And it was also very cold: -4 degrees Fahrenheit, which is -20 degrees Celsius. That day, there was a woman who was at home, but outside. She was looking west, out over the Gulf of Bothnia – the body of water that separates Finland’s west coast from Sweden’s east coast. It’s about 60-70 miles across, and the surface is frozen in the winter. As she is looking out over that ice-covered body of...

12: Matt fell through the ice

December 07, 2018 08:00 - 31 minutes

Our story today takes place on the west coast of Finland. January 5, 2017 was a sunny winter day. And it was also very cold: -4 degrees Fahrenheit, which is -20 degrees Celsius. That day, there was a woman who was at home, but outside. She was looking west, out over the Gulf of Bothnia – the body of water that separates Finland’s west coast from Sweden’s east coast. It’s about 60-70 miles across, and the surface is frozen in the winter. As she is looking out over that ice-covered body of wate...

11: Jeremy was bitten by a rattlesnake

November 23, 2018 08:00 - 40 minutes

Jeremy lives near Corpus Christi, Texas with his wife Jennifer. In May of 2018, just a few months ago, they experienced a day that neither of them will ever forget. This was on a Sunday, about 10:30 in the morning, and they were getting ready for a family barbecue that was going to happen at their house that afternoon. Jennifer was working in their rock garden, and came across an aggressive snake. But it wasn’t just any snake – this was a Western Diamondback rattlesnake. She called out for Je...

Jeremy was bitten by a rattlesnake WWTL 11

November 23, 2018 08:00 - 36 minutes - 29.5 MB

Jeremy lives near Corpus Christi, Texas with his wife Jennifer. In May of 2018, just a few months ago, they experienced a day that neither of them will ever forget. This was on a Sunday, about 10:30 in the morning, and they were getting ready for a family barbecue that was going to happen at their house that afternoon. Jennifer was working in their rock garden, and came across an aggressive snake. But it wasn’t just any snake – this was a Western Diamondback rattlesnake. She called out f...

10: Joey prevented a kidnapping

November 09, 2018 08:00 - 18 minutes

What you’re about to read is based on a criminal complaint and investigation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This happened in Waldo, Wisconsin. Thursday, September 27, 2018. Just after lunchtime, around 1 pm. Dean Hoffman entered the home of his former girlfriend, whose name I’m not going to mention. He was not invited in; he came in without permission. She told him to leave, and she started to call the police. He stopped her from calling, grabbed he...

Joey prevented a kidnapping WWTL 10

November 09, 2018 08:00 - 15 minutes - 12.8 MB

What you’re about to read is based on a criminal complaint and investigation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This happened in Waldo, Wisconsin. Thursday, September 27, 2018. Just after lunchtime, around 1 pm. Dean Hoffman entered the home of his former girlfriend, whose name I’m not going to mention. He was not invited in; he came in without permission. She told him to leave, and she started to call the police. He stopped her from calling, grabbed...

9: Brett proposed in court

October 26, 2018 07:00 - 45 minutes

The story you’re about to hear, I love it and I think you will too. It’s about two people. One of them is Tiffany, who is a probation officer. That means she sometimes works in a courtroom. The other person is Brett. Brett and Tiffany started dating a couple of years ago and ended up falling in love with each other. So recently, it came time for Brett to pop that all-important question. And even though they had talked about marriage, so it was already on both of their minds, Brett wanted to p...

Brett proposed in court WWTL 09

October 26, 2018 07:00 - 41 minutes - 34.1 MB

The story you’re about to hear, I love it and I think you will too. It’s about two people. One of them is Tiffany, who is a probation officer. That means she sometimes works in a courtroom. The other person is Brett. Brett and Tiffany started dating a couple of years ago and ended up falling in love with each other. So recently, it came time for Brett to pop that all-important question. And even though they had talked about marriage, so it was already on both of their minds, Brett want...

8: Kami survived a mass shooting

October 12, 2018 09:00 - 50 minutes

On the night of October 1, 2017, 64 year old Stephen Paddock opened fire from his room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas. He was able to fire over 1100 rounds in just 10 minutes time, from 10:05 pm to 10:15 pm. His target was the crowd of 22,000 people in the open field below his room. These people were attending the final night of the 3-day Route 91 Harvest Music festival. Country singer Jason Aldean was performing when the shooting began. The end result was that 851 p...

Kami survived a mass shooting WWTL 08

October 12, 2018 09:00 - 46 minutes - 37.3 MB

On the night of October 1, 2017, 64 year old Stephen Paddock opened fire from his room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas. He was able to fire over 1100 rounds in just 10 minutes time, from 10:05 pm to 10:15 pm. His target was the crowd of 22,000 people in the open field below his room. These people were attending the final night of the 3-day Route 91 Harvest Music festival. Country singer Jason Aldean was performing when the shooting began. The end result was that 85...

Vincent witnessed a teen die by gunshot WWTL 07

September 28, 2018 07:00 - 38 minutes - 31.1 MB

Vincent lives and works in Chicago as a photojournalist. He takes a lot of pictures, and a lot of those pictures include crime scenes. In his line of work, he’s used to getting the call, and going to where the news is happening. But there was one night when he didn’t have to go anywhere. The crime scene was just outside his front door. That was the night 17 year old Michael Patton was gunned down during a thunderstorm. Vincent heard the shots, and ran outside while his wife called 911. T...

7: Vincent witnessed a teen die by gunshot

September 28, 2018 07:00 - 42 minutes

Vincent lives and works in Chicago as a photojournalist. He takes a lot of pictures, and a lot of those pictures include crime scenes. In his line of work, he’s used to getting the call, and going to where the news is happening. But there was one night when he didn’t have to go anywhere. The crime scene was just outside his front door. That was the night 17 year old Michael Patton was gunned down during a thunderstorm. Vincent heard the shots, and ran outside while his wife called 911. The te...

Josh had his leg amputated WWTL 06

September 14, 2018 07:00 - 1 hour - 54.7 MB

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to lose one of your legs? I think just about everyone just takes their legs for granted. We’ve always had them, they get us where we need to go, they just do their job. Until they don’t. My guest on the show today is Josh. He was in the Army and stationed in Iraq, and he worked as a gunner inside an Abrams tank. One day his tank parked over a roadside bomb, and there was an explosion that destroyed the tank, along with Josh’s left foot. ...

6: Josh had his leg amputated

September 14, 2018 07:00 - 1 hour

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to lose one of your legs? I think just about everyone just takes their legs for granted. We’ve always had them, they get us where we need to go, they just do their job. Until they don’t. My guest on the show today is Josh. He was in the Army and stationed in Iraq, and he worked as a gunner inside an Abrams tank. One day his tank parked over a roadside bomb, and there was an explosion that destroyed the tank, along with Josh’s left foot. Josh t...

5: Mark gave his kidney to a stranger

August 31, 2018 07:00 - 1 hour

What kind of person gives one of his own kidneys to a total stranger? Well, you’re about to find out. Mark works as an attorney here in the Tampa Bay area so he’s actually not too far from where I live, but that’s actually just a coincidence. I heard about his story and contacted him because I knew it would be interesting, and I had lots of questions for him. I wanted to know how he found out about this person who needed a kidney, if they actually met in person, and what lead him to make the ...

Mark gave his kidney to a stranger WWTL 05

August 31, 2018 07:00 - 57 minutes - 45.7 MB

What kind of person gives one of his own kidneys to a total stranger? Well, you’re about to find out. Mark works as an attorney here in the Tampa Bay area so he’s actually not too far from where I live, but that’s actually just a coincidence. I heard about his story and contacted him because I knew it would be interesting, and I had lots of questions for him. I wanted to know how he found out about this person who needed a kidney, if they actually met in person, and what lead him to make...

Justin met his birth mother WWTL 04

August 17, 2018 07:00 - 45 minutes - 36.8 MB

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 recently. 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. And now he’s 26 years old and making a life of his...

4: Justin met his birth mother

August 17, 2018 07:00 - 49 minutes

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 recently. 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. And now he’s 26 years old and making a life of his own, but...

3: Samantha only sleeps every 8 days

August 08, 2018 07:00 - 29 minutes

In this episode, we’re talking with Samantha. And that’s not her real name, by the way. She has an interesting story, and it has to do with a medical condition that she’s had since childhood. Samantha has hyper insomnia. I’m sure you already know about insomnia. Maybe you actually experience it from time to time. But what Samantha has is HYPER insomnia. That’s more than just trouble sleeping sometimes. For her, it means that she typically goes about 8 days at a time without having any sleep. ...

Samantha only sleeps every 8 days WWTL 03

August 08, 2018 07:00 - 26 minutes - 20.9 MB

In this episode, we’re talking with Samantha. And that’s not her real name, by the way. She has an interesting story, and it has to do with a medical condition that she’s had since childhood. Samantha has hyper insomnia. I’m sure you already know about insomnia. Maybe you actually experience it from time to time. But what Samantha has is HYPER insomnia. That’s more than just trouble sleeping sometimes. For her, it means that she typically goes about 8 days at a time without having any ...

2: Luke got caught smuggling cocaine

July 25, 2018 11:00 - 1 hour

Luke remembers that day in January of 2016 pretty vividly. He was 23 years old, recently graduated from college with a degree in engineering, had his whole life ahead of him. On that particular day, he was in Ft Lauderdale, Florida and he went into a Subway fast food restaurant and bought a couple of bottles of water. He was feeling very sick, and he knew exactly why he was sick, and it wasn’t food poisoning. He knew that the awful feeling in his gut was because a little rubber packet had bur...

Luke got caught smuggling cocaine WWTL 02

July 25, 2018 11:00 - 1 hour - 54.7 MB

Luke remembers that day in January of 2016 pretty vividly. He was 23 years old, recently graduated from college with a degree in engineering, had his whole life ahead of him. On that particular day, he was in Ft Lauderdale, Florida and he went into a Subway fast food restaurant and bought a couple of bottles of water. He was feeling very sick, and he knew exactly why he was sick, and it wasn’t food poisoning. He knew that the awful feeling in his gut was because a little rubber packet had bu...

Jennifer caused a fatal accident WWTL 01

July 10, 2018 13:36 - 1 hour - 64.7 MB

October 4, 2016 - For Jennifer and her husband Chris, and their 4 children, it was just a regular Tuesday. Up until around 8 pm that evening. Jen was driving home and she had their two daughters in the car, ages 12 and 4. Jen stopped at a stop sign, and then proceeded into the intersection without seeing the motorcycle that was approaching on her left. The motorcycle hit her car, and with that collision, the lives of two families were forever changed. David, the driver of the motorcycle, w...

1: Jennifer caused a fatal accident

July 10, 2018 13:36 - 1 hour

October 4, 2016 - For Jennifer and her husband Chris, and their 4 children, it was just a regular Tuesday. Up until around 8 pm that evening. Jen was driving home and she had their two daughters in the car, ages 12 and 4. Jen stopped at a stop sign, and then proceeded into the intersection without seeing the motorcycle that was approaching on her left. The motorcycle hit her car, and with that collision, the lives of two families were forever changed. David, the driver of the motorcycle, was ...

Introduction to What Was That Like

July 04, 2018 22:10 - 7 minutes

This is a summary of what to expect for the What Was That Like podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices