

What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People.
Scott Johnson & Glassbox Media.
A 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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 5, 2025 • 30min
TQ43: Describe one of your most memorable birthdays
Every other 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:
Describe one of your most memorable birthdays
Links for this episode:
Big thanks to Kiona for filling in for Meredith on this
episode! Kiona’s podcast is Birth As We Know It, and you can get all of her
information here:
https://BirthAsWeKnowItPodcast.com
Airtags:
https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MX532LL-A-AirTag/dp/B0CWXNS552/ref=sr_1_3_pp
Bike bell designed to hide an airtag:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZD2V7JJ?th=1
Postpartum Support International:
https://postpartum.net/
Meredith’s podcast is Meredith For Real – the Curious
Introvert:
https://MeredithForReal.com
To check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the
discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.
Sponsor deals:
If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free
shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]!
#indacloudpod
Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS
to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.
Go to Quince.com/whatwas
for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 1, 2025 • 16min
STAS 6: Marlene Warren
Marlene answered the door, and there was a clown holding a
gun.
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:
If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free
shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]!
#indacloudpod
Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS
to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.
Go to Quince.com/whatwas
for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 25, 2025 • 1h 23min
224: Naseem was run over 3 times
If you have children, you’ve probably thought at some point,
“Am I a good parent?”
It’s natural to question our own abilities sometimes. Do I
spend enough time with my kids? Do they feel safe? Do they feel loved? Are they
comfortable talking with me about anything that’s going on in their life?
My kids are adults now. When I think back to when they were
growing up, there are things I would have done differently if I knew back then
what I know now. But that’s not really fair though. I know I did the best I
could at the time. And they still turned out to be great adults and I’m really
proud of them.
My guest today is Naseem. She has 3 kids. And there was a
time when she found herself wondering about how she was doing as a parent.
Wondering if her children knew how much she loved them.
It’s interesting the thoughts that come into your head, when
you’re being run over by a car.
Naseem’s book, The Unexpected Benefits of Being Run Over:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BW3LK86X/
If you’d like to contact Nassem, you can do that through her
website:
https://LifeUnbreakable.com
Naseem’s Instagram:
https://Instagram.com/nasrocs
Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
https://WhatWasThatLike.com/224
Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was
done by James Lai.
Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands
of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook
(many of the podcast guests are there as well)
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:
If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free
shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]!
#indacloudpod
Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS
to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.
Go to Quince.com/whatwas
for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 22, 2025 • 35min
TQ42: What crazy thing have you seen happen at a wedding?
Every other 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 crazy thing have you seen happen at a wedding?
Links for this episode:
Purchasing an AED from the Red Cross:
https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/organizations/purchase-aeds
AED on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Defibrillator-Portable-Automatic-Emergency-Companies/dp/B0DZTPSLYF/ref=sr_1_6
Table fan to repel flies:
https://www.amazon.com/Tables-Repellent-Outdoor-Spinner-Holographic/dp/B0B6R358LV?th=1
Pavlok Shock Clock:
https://www.amazon.com/Pavlok-Shock-Clock-Customizable-App-Controlled/dp/B0BGYY45DY/ref=sr_1_4
Meredith’s podcast is Meredith For Real – the Curious
Introvert:
https://MeredithForReal.com
To check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the
discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.
Sponsor deals:
If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free
shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]!
#indacloudpod
Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS
to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.
Go to Quince.com/whatwas
for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 18, 2025 • 1h 37min
223: Ross was shot while sleeping
In an ideal world, children should be able to trust their
parents. After all, it’s the grown-ups in the family who are responsible for
the kids. No child should ever have to worry about safety when mom and dad are
around for protection - in an ideal world.
That’s the world Ross thought he was living in when he was 8
years old, with his older brother Ryan, who was 10. They were happy kids with
no reason to be afraid. Until one night at their home in Charlotte, North
Carolina, when his mother told his father she wanted a divorce. That’s when
something snapped in Ross’s dad’s mind, and he got a gun, and forever changed
the history of their family.
This is a Flashback episode. Ross was 21 when we first had
this conversation, and he’s permanently blind. At the time, he was training to
swim in the Summer 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.
Now he’s 27, and I spoke with him again recently, so you’ll
be able to learn what’s happened in his life since he originally appeared on
the podcast, and what his plans are for the future. Ross is a pretty amazing
young man and I think you’ll enjoy this episode.
If you’d like to contact Ross:
Instagram: @RossMinorOfficial
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BlindRossMinor
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/rossminor
Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
https://WhatWasThatLike.com/223
Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was
done by James Lai.
Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands
of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook
(many of the podcast guests are there as well)
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:
If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free
shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]!
#indacloudpod
Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS
to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.
Go to Quince.com/whatwas
for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 11, 2025 • 1h 43min
222: Scott was locked up in a foreign jail
As human beings, we are often very protective of our own
sense of personal justice – and injustice.
When I was a child, I had a teacher who – to me – seemed
very unfair. If one of the kids in the class did something like write a bad
word on the chalkboard, she would ask the entire class who did it. She really
did her best to find the culprit, and carry out punishment.
But sometimes she just couldn’t figure it out. No one would
admit it, and there wasn’t enough evidence to pin it on any specific student.
So her solution was – the whole class loses recess for the
whole day. Definitely not fair! It always bugged me when that happened – I was
being punished even though I hadn’t done anything wrong.
My guest today, Scott, was also a victim of injustice, but
on a much larger scale. He was charged with a crime that he didn’t commit, and
was held in a foreign jail for far too long. This is one of those stories where
you just can’t predict what’s coming next.
And if you’re an American, it might just make you think
twice before traveling outside the US.
If you’d like to contact Scott: thescottmcmahonstory@outlook.com
Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
https://WhatWasThatLike.com/222
Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was
done by James Lai.
Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands
of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook
(many of the podcast guests are there as well)
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.
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!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 8, 2025 • 31min
TQ41: What movie traumatized you as a kid?
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 movie traumatized you as a kid?
Links for this episode:
Costco figs:
https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/sunny-fruit-organic-sun-dried-figs%2C-40-oz.product.100362726.html
Blade Runner:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/
The Billings murders in Pensacola:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Byrd_and_Melanie_Billings
Gulf Coast Confidential podcast with Mollye Barrows:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gulf-coast-confidential-with-mollye-barrows/id1648822523
The Wizard of Oz movie:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/
Return to Oz:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_to_Oz
The Exorcist:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070047/
Andrew Gold documentary about witnessing an “exorcism” –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l78hW8qVIWI
Mary Queen of Scots:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2328900/
Hannibal:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212985/
Arachnophobia:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099052/
Scott’s recommendation:
https://netflix-codes.com
Meredith’s garlic peeler:
https://www.amazon.com/Remover-Twister-Silicone-Odorfree-Internal/dp/B07WNPT8GD?th=1
Meredith’s podcast is Meredith For Real – the Curious
Introvert:
https://MeredithForReal.com
To check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the
discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.
Sponsor deals:
If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free
shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]!
#indacloudpod
Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS
to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.
Go to Quince.com/whatwas
for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 4, 2025 • 14min
STAS 5: Amanda Eller
Amanda just wanted to go for a short trail run. Life had
something else in store for her.
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.
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!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 27, 2025 • 1h 15min
221: Brandon is a 911 dispatcher
What do heart attacks, car accidents, and murder usually
have in common? Most of the time, when any of these things happen, someone
calls 911.
It’s one of the most reliable things we have – whenever
there’s any kind of emergency, here in the US, we know we can just pick up any
phone and dial 911 and get help. Even if it’s a phone that has no service.
This is an episode where I talk with someone who has an
unusual job. My guest today is Brandon, and he’s been a 911 dispatcher in
Nashville, Tennessee for 25 years. After taking emergency calls for all that
time, he’s heard just about everything. And today we’ll get the inside scoop on
what this job is really like.
Also, a content warning – one of the things discussed during
our conversation is when calls come in from people who are suicidal.
So please, enjoy my conversation with Brandon.
If you’d like to contact Brandon or check out his podcast:
https://musiccity911.com/
Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:
https://WhatWasThatLike.com/221
Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was
done by James Lai.
Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands
of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook
(many of the podcast guests are there as well)
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.
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!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 24, 2025 • 23min
TQ40: What did you throw away that you wish you had kept?
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 did you throw away that you wish you had kept?
Links for this episode:
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo:
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering-Organizing/dp/1607747308/ref=sr_1_1
The Mortified Podcast:
https://getmortified.com/audio/podcast/
TQ39:
https://WhatWasThatLike.com/tq39
Meredith’s podcast is Meredith For Real – the Curious
Introvert:
https://MeredithForReal.com
To check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the
discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.
Sponsor deals:
Head to http://Lumen.me/WWTL
for 20% off your purchase.
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!
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices