What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People.

Adam lived in Newtown, Connecticut. He was 20 years old, and had no criminal record. One December morning, before 9:30 am, Adam shot and killed his own mother, Nancy, while she was still in her bed. Her body was later found with four gunshot wounds to the head. Nancy was a gun enthusiast, and had quite a few rifles and handguns. After he killed her, Adam took some of those guns and drove his mothe...

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's your favorite family tradition? Links for this episode:   Thousand Schnapsen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Schnapsen Scattergories: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scattergories Meredith’s podcast is Me...

In 1988, Phil had just moved to Los Angeles. And he was in a tough spot. At the time he had no job and very little money. So he was trying to come up with some kind of plan that could save him from being homeless. Since he had pretty vast knowledge in lots of different subject areas, he decided that he would try his hand at going on the TV game show, Jeopardy! He had to pass an initial test, which...

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: When you were a child, what did you get the most excited about? Links for this episode: The Five Love Languages: https://5lovelanguages.com/ Meredith’s episode 247 – Is your food causing your depression? https://www....

Here in America, we’re gaining weight. In 1990, the average weight of a US citizen was 161 pounds. By 2020, just 30 years later, the AVERAGE weight went up to 181 – a 20 pound increase. The rate of obesity varies by state. The state with the most obesity has almost 41% of residents falling into that category – and that is Mississippi. The state with the lowest obesity rate, around 24%, is Colorado...

Having your first baby is exciting. Your life is changing because you’re gonna be bringing this new little human into your home and into your family. The whole dynamic will change. Your focus will change. But having that first baby can also be a little scary. You’ve never done this before. You don’t really know what to expect exactly. You might even wonder if you’re doing it right. Today you’re go...

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’s something that most people have done, but you’ve never done? Links for this episode: You Probably Think This Story’s About You podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-probably-think-this-storys-abou...

For many people, being at home should be where you feel the safest from the outside world. I mean, we have doors with locks, sometimes multiple locks. Our windows can have locks. We have alarm systems that not only notify us if someone is trying to break it, but also makes loud noises to scare them away. The alarm can even call the police for you, if you’re not able to. We have a roof to protect f...

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’s something that people do, that’s normal, that grosses you out? Links for this episode: Bite: An Incisive History of Teeth, from Hagfish to Humans: https://www.amazon.com/Bite-Incisive-History-Hagfish-Humans/dp...

Over the years, I’ve come to realize – the way I navigate the world day to day, as a man, is very different from what a woman has to think about. I mean, when I go out somewhere, like to the grocery store, or the bank, or whatever, the thought that someone might be secretly watching me never even enters my mind. If I happen to have an encounter with someone I don’t know, I don’t immediately get su...

When you’re early in life, growing up, whatever you experience is what you consider to be normal. For example, when I was a kid, our family would go to church every Sunday. We knew everyone there, I had lots of friends there, and there was always a big crowd of people. So naturally, I just kind of assumed that everyone, on Sunday mornings, would be in a church somewhere. But it was kind of a disco...

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’s your best find at a yard sale or thrift store? Links for this episode:   eBay: https://ebay.com   Meredith’s podcast is Meredith For Real – the Curious Introvert: https://MeredithForReal.com To check out the n...

Hey, it’s an off week for the podcast, but here I am anyway. This is Scott Johnson, and you’re listening to What Was That Like. Usually I have a guest on to talk about something really unusual that they experienced – like having their arm torn off, or being buried in an avalanche, or witnessing a murder. The guest comes on and tells the details of what happened. And there are more than 190 episode...

Every September, here on the podcast we feature a guest who has a personal experience with 9/11. Most people remember exactly where they were on the morning of September 11, 2001, when terrorists struck the US using hijacked airplanes. It was a dark day for this country. This month, What Was That Like is publishing a 3-part series titled one September morning. In each episode, you’ll hear someone...

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’s the most useless thing you still have memorized? Links for this episode: Meredith’s episode with Jehovah’s Witness: https://www.meredithforreal.com/podcast-episodes/episode/79a56504/ep-228-or-confessions-of-a-...

Every September, here on the podcast we feature a guest who has a personal experience with 9/11. Most people remember exactly where they were on the morning of September 11, 2001, when terrorists struck the US using hijacked airplanes. It was a dark day for this country. This month, What Was That Like is publishing a 3-part series titled one September morning. In each episode, you’ll hear someone...

Every September, here on the podcast we feature a guest who has a personal experience with 9/11. Most people remember exactly where they were on the morning of September 11, 2001, when terrorists struck the US using hijacked airplanes. It was a dark day for this country. This month, What Was That Like is publishing a 3-part series titled one September morning. In each episode, you’ll hear someone...

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 was that time when you thought you might actually die? Links for this episode: The DARE program – effective, or not? https://youtu.be/6WMHuWMVNY0?si=t5arFWeg0ZAEW58p Sober Powered podcast with Jill Tietz: https:...

I don’t go to the local mall very often. But when I need something that’s only sold at one of those stores there, I make a trip to the mall. And there’s something that happens almost every time. Since the store I need to visit is usually at the other end, I have to walk down the main aisle. As I make my way through the mall, there are stores on my left and right of course. But there are also now t...

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's something that happened at work that you'll never forget? Links for this episode:   Watch what a Mento does when put in Coke (warning – grandma’s language): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVQbTpsPR0Q  Meredit...

There’s a phrase that’s very common in certain situations. “Sorry for your loss” We hear it at funerals, we see it in sympathy cards, we might even read it in an email or a text message. It’s kind of just the standard line that people say to those who are grieving after a close friend or a loved one passes away. It doesn’t really take away any of the pain, but it let’s them know that they’re suppo...

What do you do if a crime was committed, and you know who did it? Here’s an example, think about this. You’re on your lunch break at work, but you’re at your desk. You’re just scrolling through Facebook, and you see that the local police are searching for someone who recently committed an armed robbery. When you read the details, you can see the name of the person they’re looking for – and it’s on...

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's a common smell you can't stand? Links for this episode:   Gross tasting Jelly Bellys – https://www.jellybelly.com/weird-wild-and-gross-jelly-beans/c/289 Meredith episode about medical cannabis: https://www.mer...

After you’ve been parenting for more than a few years, there’s something you learn. The way you communicate with your child changes as the child gets older. When you say something to a toddler, you don’t usually need to provide all the logic and reasoning with it. At that stage they are absorbing information like a sponge, and you’re the primary source of all their new knowledge. But when they get...

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: If you and your spouse/partner had to switch jobs tomorrow morning with no training, which of you would get fired first? Links for this episode:   Meredith’s episode about epistocracy: https://www.meredithforreal.com...