207: Marsha's diner was hit by a plane
What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People.
Reflections on Trauma and Listener Engagement
This chapter explores the aftermath of a traumatic plane crash and its lasting effects on the narrator, including nightmares and anxiety. It also includes announcements for a listener meetup and an introduction to a listener-submitted story with a content warning.
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 we lived up north. Winters in Maine can be pretty brutal, and part of that is that sometimes the roads can be icy and dangerous for driving.
I remember one day I was driving on a rural country road, just two lanes, and the weather conditions were not good. There was some snow, but I also knew that the road had patches of ice. So I was moving along pretty carefully.
Then I saw coming my direction was a small pickup truck. But he had already hit a big icy section and he was coming downhill toward me. And he was just spinning in circles. This guy had absolutely no control, just doing 360s as he came down this hill in my direction. And there really was nothing I could do either. I just figured “Ok, here we go, this is gonna happen I guess”. I wasn’t too concerned about getting injured because we weren’t going at high speeds – I just knew that a collision was about to happen.
But amazingly, as this truck finally reached me, he was somehow able to stay on his side of the road while he kept going in circles right past me. I watched in my rear view mirror as he eventually regained control, and we each went on our way. Just part of life when you live in a cold climate.
My guest today is Marsha. She had a moment kind of like that once. She looked up and saw headlights coming her direction. But it wasn’t a car coming at her. It was a plane.
If you’re in Monahans, Texas, go eat at Pappy’s BBQ – 1901 S Stockton Avenue.
Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
https://WhatWasThatLike.com/207
Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.
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
Sponsor deals:
Head to http://Lumen.me/WWTL for 20% off your purchase.
Go to bluenile.com to shop Blue Nile, the original online jeweler since 1999!
Follow “MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark and Mysterious Stories” on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/WHATWAS and get on your way to being your best self.
To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS
Sign up today at https://www.butcherbox.com/whatwas and use code whatwas to get chicken breast, salmon or ground beef FREE in every order for a year, plus $20 off your first order.
Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/WHAT
Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!
Go to cookunity.com/What or enter code What before checkout for 50% off your first week.
Go to Seed.com/what and use code 25WHAT to get 25% off your first month.
Go to storyworth.com/what to save $10 on your first purchase!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The AI-powered Podcast Player
