What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People.

Guy Sanders, a dedicated EMS supervisor during the 9/11 attacks, shares his deeply emotional journey as a first responder. He recounts rushing into chaos to save lives, the heartbreak of losing co-workers, and the ongoing health struggles stemming from his time at Ground Zero. Guy reflects on the profound commitment to service that pushed him toward danger without hesitation. His story captures both the tragic loss and the resilience of those who stood bravely in the face of unimaginable adversity.

Join a humorous exploration of life’s quirks as the hosts reflect on the most useless things they’ve memorized. From culinary mishaps and learning Mandarin to nostalgic phone numbers and unconventional revenge stories, the conversation flows seamlessly. Delight in tales of childhood memories, cheeky poems, and quirky moments from iconic TV shows. The hosts’ dynamic banter keeps it light, while they encourage listeners to share their own amusing memories, sparking a delightful, relatable discussion.

Listeners hear a firefighter's gripping account of his day managing chaos during the 9/11 attacks. He reflects on the emotional farewells, the trauma of loss, and acts of bravery amidst destruction. The camaraderie among first responders shines through as they navigate overwhelming danger. Stories of survival and resilience capture the profound impact of that tragic day, emphasizing community support and remembrance. The personal journey of coping with loss adds a heartfelt layer to the narrative.

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 telling their personal story about what they experienced on that day. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to subscribe and follow the show so you don’t miss an episode.Today, in the first episode of the series, we’ll hear from Joan. She and her husband lived in lower Manhattan. On the morning of 9/11, Joan was at work a few miles away from the disaster. But her husband was still at home, just a block from the Twin Towers, and he had no idea what had just happened.Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:https://WhatWasThatLike.com/188Graphics 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 appSponsor deals:To get your new 3-month premium wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month, go to mintmobile.com/WHATGo 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!For a limited time, our listeners will get an exclusive 15% off their first OneSkin purchase using the code WWTL when you checkout at oneskin.co.Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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=t5arFWeg0ZAEW58pSober Powered podcast with Jill Tietz:https://www.soberpowered.com/episodesHeimlich Maneuver:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CgtIgSyAiUJane Boroski and the Connecticut River Valley Killer –https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connecticut_River_Valley_KillerList of fatal crowd crushes:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_crowd_crushesThe DOOM video game:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doom_(1993_video_game)Meredith’s podcast is Meredith For Real – the Curious Introvert:https://MeredithForReal.comTo check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.Sponsor deals:To get your new 3-month premium wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month, go to mintmobile.com/WHATGo 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!For a limited time, our listeners will get an exclusive 15% off their first OneSkin purchase using the code WWTL when you checkout at oneskin.co.Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 the kiosks in the middle, from one end of the mall to the other. These set-ups are cheaper than having a full retail walk-in store.And every time I’m walking, there’s a perfume dealer. And there will be one or two salespeople trying to flag people down and check out a free sample of some kind of perfume and get you to buy some. They’re usually going after the female shoppers and you can see that women try to walk by and not make eye contact. No one wants to be approached by a sales person.Whenever I see someone like that, I always think, “Wow, that has to be the worst job in the world. Nothing but rejection for 40 hours a week.”But there are people who do that same kind of thing – and they aren’t in the mall. In fact, they aren’t even getting paid. It’s the Jehovah’s Witnesses.I see them all the time, with their bookshelf and their literature, set up on street corners, in a public park, on the side of a bike or walking trail. Just standing there trying to get someone to stop and talk to them, so they can hopefully recruit them into joining. Some of them still go out knocking on doors even.Stephan was one of those people. But today you’ll hear how he finally was able to get away from that group, and what he lost – and gained - as a result of that decision.Also – Stephan is part of the team that creates a podcast that I subscribe to, and we’ll talk about that toward the end of our conversation.If you’d like to contact Stephan, his email is: StephanTheBlackSheep@gmail.comCheck out the Multispective podcast at Multispective.org.Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:https://WhatWasThatLike.com/187Graphics 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 appSponsor deals:To get your new 3-month premium wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month, go to mintmobile.com/WHATGo 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!For a limited time, our listeners will get an exclusive 15% off their first OneSkin purchase using the code WWTL when you checkout at oneskin.co.Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Meredith’s episode 152 about the Psychic Marine:https://www.meredithforreal.com/podcast-episodes/episode/794702c5/ep-152-or-psychic-marinesMeredith’s episode about homelessness and incarceration is not live yet, but it will be linked here:Meredith’s podcast is Meredith For Real – the Curious Introvert:https://MeredithForReal.comTo check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.Sponsor deals:To get your new 3-month premium wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month, go to mintmobile.com/WHATGo 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!For a limited time, our listeners will get an exclusive 15% off their first OneSkin purchase using the code WWTL when you checkout at oneskin.co.Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 supported and loved.But when it’s a parent mourning the loss of a child, saying “sorry for your loss” seems terribly inadequate. The pain and the heartache is just too big. It’s overwhelming. Suffocating. That commonly used phrase just falls way short, when the pain of the parent is so massive.That’s how Travis felt when his teenage son, Brandon, passed away after having an asthma attack.We’ve had multiple episodes with a parent talking about the loss of a child, but Travis was the first one. This is a Flashback episode. And in the update conversation after the story, Travis told me that now they aren’t completely convinced that it was asthma that took Brandon.Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:https://WhatWasThatLike.com/186Graphics 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 appSponsor deals:To get your new 3-month premium wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month, go to mintmobile.com/WHATGo to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!To listen to THE 82% series, follow THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts!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!For a limited time, our listeners will get an exclusive 15% off their first OneSkin purchase using the code WWTL when you checkout at oneskin.co.Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 one of your co-workers. You look at the picture in the police bulletin, and yes – they are trying to find this person who works at the same place you do – in fact you can look up from your phone and see him sitting at his desk, just 30 feet away.This person is your friend. You’ve worked together for years. Your kids have played together. But you have a decision to make. Do you call the police, and tell them exactly where they can find this person? Would you consider that a betrayal of your friendship?My guest today is Justine. She found herself in a situation kind of like that. She knew what this person did, she knew police were looking for him, and she knew exactly where they could find him.Except in her case, the crime that was committed was murder. And the person being hunted by police was her brother.Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:https://WhatWasThatLike.com/185Graphics 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 appSponsor deals:Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!To listen to THE 82% series, follow THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts!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/ #oneskinpodCancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dive into a humorous exploration of scents that make us cringe, starting with the notorious Axe cologne. The hosts share funny anecdotes about microwave popcorn and childhood jelly beans, mixing nostalgia with laughter. They discuss the bittersweet nature of unpleasant odors and how they shape our memories. From restaurant antics to the social complexities of adolescence, this episode highlights how smell intertwines with personal experiences and community connections, all wrapped in relatable comedy.