What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People.

I love all animals, but one of my favorites is the elephant.Couple of things you might not know about elephants:When you see a herd of elephants, the leader of that family group is one of the females. When a male elephant is born, he sticks around with the family until he’s around 12 years old, then he heads off on his own. The female elephants will usually stay with the family herd their whole lives.And even though elephants are the largest land mammal, they’re actually pretty fast – they can run up to 25 miles per hour (or about 40 kilometers per hour).And they’re incredibly intelligent (maybe that’s why they put the females in charge!). Elephants are one of the few species to recognize themselves in a mirror. And they have really complex emotions and compassion. They mourn the death of their loved ones, much like we do as humans.Today we’re going to hear from Ella, about the time she had an encounter with an elephant. For a while it was great – she felt like she was really connecting with this amazing creature. But suddenly things went very wrong.If you’d like to contact Ella:Instagram: @smella_freshWebsite: PlantBestie.comThis episode is sponsored by Storyworth, where your loved one’s memories are turned into a keepsake book. Save $10 on your first purchase at StoryWorth.com/WHAT.This episode is also sponsored by BetterHelp online therapy – save 10% on your first month at BetterHelp.com/WHATWAS.I know you like hearing stories, so you’ll want to check out the podcast called The Compulsive Storyteller at TheCompulsiveStoryteller.com.Get the full transcript for this episode and ALL previous episodes in a single digital download:WhatWasThatLike.com/transcriptsWant to discuss this episode and other interesting 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). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time for a bonus episode!You’ve heard me talking about the Raw Audio episodes, and today you’ll hear a full, extra Raw Audio episode for yourself.Here’s the deal. If you like the What Was That Like podcast, you’re welcome to support the show, and like a lot of podcasters, that’s done through Patreon. All the details are at WhatWasThatLike.com/support.There are different levels of support, so you can do whatever you’re comfortable with. But if you sign up for $5 a month, you get access to all of the Raw Audio episodes. At the moment there are 27 of those, and Raw Audio 28 will be released later this month.What you’ll hear in these episodes are actual 911 calls. There are no scripts, there are no actors or re-enactments. This is real life - the actual phone calls made right then when the emergency was happening. And I’ll also tell you the story that goes with it – who was involved, what happened, and how it turned out. Most Raw Audio episodes cover 3 different stories.So today, in this extra bonus episode, you’ll hear 3 of those calls. If you decide you want to sign up and binge the other 27 episodes, you can do that at WhatWasThatLike.com/support.So let’s get on with today’s show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No matter where you live, there’s the possibility of experiencing some kind of bad weather.We lived in Maine for about 13 years. And since I was self employed and could pretty much dictate my own schedule, I decided to work part-time for my town’s EMS service. So I got trained in emergency response, and was often called out when someone called 911 with a medical emergency or an injury. And usually I was working with a paramedic, who was pretty much in charge of the situation because they were more experienced. I would do whatever was needed to assist them and the patient, and a lot of times that meant I was driving the ambulance to the hospital while they took care of the patient in the back.There’s one call I remember pretty clearly. This was in the winter, at night, and we had just had a big snowstorm so the driving conditions were pretty bad. We got a call about a car accident. This was just a single vehicle crash – the person had lost control and run into a tree. We got there and found just one person, the driver, and she was still in the car with some broken bones. Her worst injury was her broken pelvis – she had what’s called an “open book” fracture, where the pelvis is broken into right and left halves. It’s really painful, and she was conscious and experiencing all of it.We got her out of the car and into the ambulance, and I was not looking forward to this trip. It was still snowing pretty hard, and it was dark, so the visibility was poor, and the roads were slippery. And this is rural Maine, so the hospital was not close by – we had to get to the hospital down in Portland. In perfect weather, it was about a 30 minute drive. On this night, it took more than an hour.And that was some high-stress driving. I had to kind of creep along and make sure I stayed on the road and didn’t slide off into the ditch. And there was the added pressure that this poor girl in the back was depending on my driving to get her to the emergency room. On top of that, she’s lying on her back with a badly broken pelvis, and every time I hit a bump in the road she would scream in pain and I would feel terrible because I hit that bump. We eventually got there, but that ride seemed to take forever.My guest today is Todd. He lives in Canada, and he has seen his share of bad winter weather. He’s also a truck driver, so in a lot of cases he finds himself driving his tractor trailer in those conditions. Most of the time, it’s no big deal. He’s used to it. With poor visibility and slippery roads, everyone on the highway just keeps moving forward, slowly and carefully, and eventually you get there. But there was one time he was driving during a bad snowstorm, and that slow forward movement came to a full stop. And that’s where he stayed.If you’d like to message Todd, you can email him at v8ed_s-10@hotmail.comJose sent in a voice mail, and you can see his tattoo work on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/gordotaub/Get the full transcript for this episode and ALL previous episodes in a single digital download:WhatWasThatLike.com/transcriptsThis episode is sponsored by Field of Greens – get your fruits and vegetables the easy way, and use the promo code WHAT for 15% off your first order – FieldofGreens.com.This episode is sponsored by Uncommon Goods – unique gifts from around the world for everyone on your list – get 15% off by visiting UncommonGoods.com/WHAT. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I want you to take a moment, and think about the concept of trust.Often, trust is based on experience. When you go to a restaurant you really like, and you order your favorite dish, you trust that the ingredients they use aren’t outdated and spoiled. This is an easy thing, because you’ve done it hundreds of times before, at lots of different restaurants.When I need to have some work done on my car, I’m fortunate to have a mechanic who I can trust. I need to know that not only the repair was done properly, but that the car is also safe to drive when I get it back.And one of the places where we all have to place our trust is in our healthcare professionals. Whether you’re at your doctor for an annual checkup, or in the Emergency Room for something more serious, you have to trust that the doctors, and nurses, and the other medical people know what they’re doing.My guest today is Ashley. She went to the hospital one day, because she was about to give birth to her first child. She and her husband, Alden, were very excited about becoming parents. And when things started happening that were outside the norm, they trusted that the people in charge could figure it out.That’s not what happened.This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online therapy – get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/WHATWAS.Check out the Compelled podcast – inspiring stories of people who have overcome – at CompelledPodcast.comPatrick Jones (Listener Story from September 9, 2022 episode):Website – pojones.comPodcast – whyillnevermakeit.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to television game shows, there are just a few that have been around for a very long time.A couple of those are Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy!. These shows have really become a part of American culture. But there’s another one that’s been on the air even longer than those two, because it’s currently the longest running game show in American TV history. That show is The Price Is Right.Chances are, you’ve probably watched it at some point. Just about everyone has. But there are a few things you may not know about this show.The Price Is Right has been seen on all three major networks – NBC, ABC and CBS. Yeah, that’s a bit of trivia from back when there were pretty much 3 channels on television to choose from.One of the hosts for many years was Bob Barker. And for a long time, his hair was dyed black. But he didn’t like the way it looked. At one point, when he was on vacation, he stopped dying his hair and let it go full gray. The producers of the show were worried about how viewers would respond. But it turns out, people loved Bob’s new look. And ratings went through the roof.A couple of well-known celebrities were contestants on TPIR, before they became famous – Aaron Paul was once a contestant. He played Jesse Pinkman on the really popular series, Breaking Bad. He got all the way to the showcase, but ended up overbidding so he didn’t win.The other one was Vanna White. Long before she became the famous and highly paid letter-turner on Wheel of Fortune, she was just another person on Contestant Row, trying to win something. But she actually never made it up on stage.If you’re a regular listener of this podcast, you know that a lot of the stories we talk about are really intense, and the guest may have gone through a huge tragedy. So sometimes I like to talk to someone who has been through something that’s still really unusual, but happy. My guest today is Fabiana, and she was in the studio audience for The Price Is Right, and her name was called to “COME ON DOWN”, and she actually DID make it on stage. But there’s more to her story.Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Muchhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_Bid:_The_Contestant_Who_Knew_Too_MuchGet the full transcript for this episode and ALL previous episodes in a single digital download:WhatWasThatLike.com/transcriptsField of Greens – get your fruits and vegetables the easy way, and use the promo code WHAT for 15% off your first order – FieldofGreens.comJordan Harbinger Show – one of my favorite podcasts! Find it on any podcast app, or at JordanHarbinger.com/startProfoundly Pointless podcast – huge variety of interesting guests, and a great host! Find it on all podcast platforms, or at ProfoundlyPointless.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For a lot of Americans, the idea of traveling – being away from home – is just a routine part of life.Whether it’s a business trip or a vacation, getting on an airplane to go somewhere is pretty common. Most of us don’t think twice about it.But that’s not everyone. A recent survey of 2000 Americans revealed some interesting numbers.13% have never flown in an airplane.40% of those questioned said they have never left the country.And 11% of these people said they have never even been outside of the state where they were born.Those are some surprising statistics, but the fact remains that a lot of people here in the US still love to travel.And my guest today, Summer, was one of those people. She’s traveled all over the country, as well as internationally. And most of the time, it all went fine.What was scary was the time she left the United States, and couldn’t come back.Looking for a podcast that’s a lot like What Was That Like? Check out This is Actually Happening:https://wondery.com/shows/this-is-actually-happening/This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp – online counseling. Get 10% off your first month by visiting BetterHelp.com/WHATWAS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weekend will mark the 21st anniversary of the terrorist attacks that happened on September 11, 2001.We all remember where we were when we first started to hear what was happening. It was such a big and horrible thing, the memory sticks with us. That might be why it seems like it wasn’t really that long ago. But think about it like this. A new baby that was born that year, is now a senior in college. There’s a whole generation who didn’t experience 9/11 in real time. They only know what they see on old news reports, or online articles, or documentaries. A big way we keep that memory alive is by hearing from people who were there – in New York City, or at the Pentagon, or in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.So, for the past few years on this podcast, around September 11, we’ve set aside a special episode to hear those stories. That’s what we’re doing today. You’re about to hear two ladies talk about what they experienced, and how they dealt with it.First is Siobhan. She was just 18 years old at the time. She has a YouTube channel, which I’ll link to in the show notes, and she told this story 10 years after it happened.The second story is from Jeanette. Her office was on the 16th floor, directly across the street from One World Trade. She told her story just last year, in 2021.At the end, I’ll have some important information about the 9/11 Tribute Museum, and a few other announcements.Never forget.Siobhan’s YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/LaDollyVita339/11 Tribute Museum:https://911TributeMuseum.orgSign the petition to save the museum:https://www.change.org/p/save-the-9-11-tribute-museumThis episode is sponsored by the Jordan Harbinger Show, a podcast I’ve subscribed to for years – JordanHarbinger.com/START. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people don’t go to work each day with the concern of going through something that traumatizes them.If your job is in the medical field, such as in a hospital, you might be saddened when a patient you’ve been working with ends up dying. Or if you work in retail, you know there’s going to be the occasional angry or irrational customer who really gets your blood pressure up.Here in America, we have the unique problem of school teachers being traumatized because of the very real threat of someone taking a gun and shooting them and their students. We think we’re so smart, yet we’re the only country in the world who hasn’t put an end to that horrifying problem.But for the most part, people go to work, and they come home, and they don’t suffer mentally from what happened that day.The big exception to this are the people who work in emergency situations. Firefighters, police officers, EMS - these people are subjected to traumatic situations as a normal part of their job.And included in that group are 911 emergency dispatchers. In fact, there’s a growing movement that includes legislation to get rid of the common job title “call takers”. Instead, 911 dispatchers are increasingly being recognized as first responders, and they’re getting more access to mental health care, because of what they experience in their work.My guest today is ShaNae. She knew what came with her job as a 911 dispatcher – long stretches of routine calls, punctuated by the sudden big adrenaline-inducing call from someone who was in serious trouble. It was part of the job. She was trained for this and she knew what to expect.But there was one day when a call came in, and it changed everything.This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp – online counseling. Get 10% off your first month by visiting BetterHelp.com/WHATWAS.This episode is also sponsored by Ghostbed – get 30% off sitewide at Ghostbed.com/WHAT.Check out the true crime podcast Cold Case Canada, with host Eve Lazarus – https://evelazarus.com/category/podcast/cold-case-canada/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you remember the stress of being a teenager?As an adult, you might look back on that time in your life with fondness. You had no bills to pay, and no worries about where to live, because you were still at home with your parents. You didn’t have to buy groceries – the food was just there. You could get a job if you wanted some extra spending money, but you didn’t really HAVE to work. Why didn’t we appreciate that time more?But in reality, teenagers DO worry about things. They worry about grades, and whether they’ll be able to get into a good college. And if they do get in, if they can afford it without racking up a ton of school loans. They stress about body image, and about fitting in with their group of friends, and sometimes there’s some family conflicts that can be part of the stress. Then there’s dating and relationships, and that’s a whole subject in itself. And on top of all that, they have the pressure of having to decide what they want to do with their life. So in spite of the fond memories, being a teenager isn’t always easy.Today you’re going to hear my guest, Martine, talk about something she experienced when she was 16 years old. By all accounts, she was a teenager with a pretty good life. She lived in a decent house, with her parents and her sisters. She went to school and she hung out with friends. Life wasn’t perfect of course, but she was happy.She certainly wasn’t worried about her family’s home being invaded by armed men in the middle of the night. Until it happened.Twice.Martine’s website:https://MartineCadet.comMartine’s podcast:https://visualizeandcreate.lightcast.com/This episode is sponsored by the Jordan Harbinger Show, one of my favorite podcasts:JordanHarbinger.comThis episode is also sponsored by the Music City 911 podcast – real 911 calls analyzed by a veteran 911 dispatcher – search “Music City 911” on your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I know, you might be surprised to see What Was That Like show up in your podcast feed today. New podcast episodes come out on Fridays every two weeks, and today is not one of those “new episode” Fridays. What I have for you today is a bonus episode, because I want to introduce you to another podcast that I think you’ll love, because I know how much you enjoy hearing people tell their very personal stories. I love those stories myself, which is why I’m subscribed to this show.The podcast is called The Secret Room, and it features anonymous guests revealing true stories – stories they’ve never told before. Sometimes it can be a tragic one, like witnessing the murder of someone you know. Or it might be about having a secret love affair with someone on death row. The variety of stories and topics are endless, because everyone has a secret.The host of the show is my friend Ben, and I think he and I are similar in a lot of ways. He’s very empathetic as the guests come on the show and talk about these things that are very personal to them. Ben and I talked about this idea, and we thought it would be nice to share each other’s podcast with our audience. I’ve only done this once before with another podcast, because I have to be 100% sure that the content I bring you is something I know you’ll enjoy. The Secret Room definitely meets that requirement. So today you’ll hear Caroline’s story. When she was a kid, she accidentally discovered a shocking secret that her dad was keeping. What happened after she confronted him would change her world forever.If you like this episode, I encourage you to find The Secret Room on your favorite podcast app and subscribe. I’ll see you next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices