What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People.

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 disgusting thing you’ve found in someone else’s home? Links for this episode: Using hollowed-out fruit for ice cream bowls: https://www.tastingtable.com/1616069/hollowed-out-fruit-ice-cream-bowls/ Dog...

Imagine you’re out in public, just going about your day. Let’s say you’re in the grocery store. And as you’re pushing your shopping cart down the aisle, you notice a tall man, maybe 10 feet ahead of you, looking at the items on the shelf. And suddenly, that man collapses to the floor. What would you do? Most people don’t really know what they would do, until a situation like that actually comes up...

I’ve had more than 200 people come on this podcast and share a story of something crazy that they’ve been through. If nothing else, I’ve learned one thing. Life can change in an instant. For Dan, he’s just enjoying the outdoors on a trail in Alaska, and suddenly he’s on his back with the snout of a grizzly bear in his face. Amy was just at work in her office in Oklahoma – then just seconds later s...

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 always makes you laugh? Links for this episode: The poop knife story on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/MuseumOfReddit/comments/ke8skw/the_poop_knife/ Meredith’s podcast is Meredith For Real – the Curious Intro...

Scott tells the story of Stephen Slevin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all have a few scary moments in life that we’ll never forget. You know what I mean – a time when something is happening, or about to happen, and you know that the outcome could be really bad, and it’s happening so fast you don’t even have time to react. It’s almost like you’re watching a movie, and just waiting to see how it’s gonna end. One moment like that for me was several years ago, when w...

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 overused word or phrase are you sick of? Links for this episode:   Corporate jargon: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDXnlVoRK9B/ Meredith’s episode about how cuss words become cuss words: https://www.meredithfor...

Today’s story takes place off the coast of Somalia, a country in Africa. If you look at Africa on a map, you’ll see Somalia on the east coast, right on the water of the Indian Ocean. In fact, of all the countries in Africa, Somalia is the one with the longest coastline. And for the Americans listening, to give you an idea of how big it is, Somalia is almost the same size as the US state of Texas....

Here in Florida, we know about hurricanes. My wife Jeanne and I will never forget Hurricane Elena back in 1985. That storm came into the Gulf of Mexico and just hovered offshore. There were instructions to evacuate because of the danger of high winds and flooding. What made it interesting for us is that Jeanne was pregnant with our first child, and she was at full term. So while everyone else was...

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 situation or condition that no one understands, until they're in it? Links for this episode:   TheHotline.org LoveIsRespect.org Meredith’s episode about victims staying with their abusers: https://www.meredi...

Few things are sadder than seeing a loved one slip gradually into dementia. This is what happened to my grandmother – my mom’s mom. She got to the point where she couldn’t live on her own any more, but she didn’t really have other debilitating health issues. So she didn’t need to be in a hospital, or a nursing home. She just needed someone around to help her with daily living, because she would fo...

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're in a middle seat at a movie - you need to pee - do you give your neighbors the butt or crotch while exiting? Why? Links for this episode: Progressive commercial about becoming your parents: https://youtu.be/Ef...

Lexington, Kentucky. 1 pm on a Friday, Labor Day weekend. Diana, a medical flight nurse, was sitting in a Lear jet. The pilot was unconscious. The co-pilot could not move because he had a broken back. Diana’s patient had died on impact. The plane was sitting on Versailles Rd in Lexington, after it had just slid across the road on its belly. The landing gear was gone. The right wing had been ripped...

For many parents, having a child in daycare is just part of the daily routine. And choosing a daycare provider for your child can be a pretty involved process. You obviously want to make sure the environment is safe and clean, with staff who are qualified, and that the ratio of caregivers to children is reasonable. And there are a ton of other things to consider, because you are trusting this plac...

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 best gift you’ve ever been given? Links for this episode:   Barbie and the Rockers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie_and_the_Rockers Meredith’s podcast is Meredith For Real – the Curious Introvert: htt...

We are at the end of 2024. It’s been a great year for me, and I hope it has been for you too. As you probably know, every episode of What Was That Like ends with a Listener Story. This is just a 5-10 minute personal story, sent in by a listener. I’m always looking for new listener stories, so I’d love for YOU to send one in. Just record it on your phone in a quiet environment and email to me – Sco...

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 biggest pet peeve about listening to podcasts? Links for this episode: Meredith’s episode 256 about homelessness in California: https://www.meredithforreal.com/podcast-episodes/episode/7c8ceb56/ep-256-or-...

Have you ever seen stories of someone who was born with no arms? I’ve seen videos and I think maybe even a documentary like that. Usually they will profile one particular person, who is now an adult, and this person lives a full, happy life - with no arms. Which means, of course, that they do a lot of things with their feet. And these people are amazing – they have learned to do almost anything wi...

Content warning for today’s episode, which includes a brief discussion of suicidal thoughts. When you think of the word “addiction”, what comes to your mind? I think for most people, the most common thought would be drugs or alcohol. For some people, it’s very easy to fall into that. I’m always thankful that I never was interested in smoking, because tobacco addiction is a really difficult thing 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 is something from your childhood that now no longer exists? Links for this episode:   Telephone party lines: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_line_(telephony) Jarts – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawn_darts...

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...