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 – [email protected].

And these stories are a very popular part of the show. They’re always the very last thing in an episode, so it’s worth staying around til the end!

And our tradition is, for the last episode of the year, which is today, I put together all of the Listener Stories for that year into one full episode. So today you have more than 3 hours of storytelling. I know you probably can’t sit down and listen to all 3 hours at one time, but these are short stories so it’s easy to break the episode into bite-size pieces and just listen when you have a chance.

So – enjoy these stories, and get ready for the new year because I’m working on a bunch of amazing episodes and crazy stories. Looking forward to seeing you here in 2025.

Full show notes for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/201

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:

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

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-homelessness-in-california-hopeless-crisis-or-solvable-situation

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:

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

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 with their feet, that the rest of us rely on our hands for. They cut up their kids’ food for them, they drive cars, they compete athletically… it’s just their normal, so they’ve learned how to get stuff done in spite of having no arms.

Jeff was not one of those people. He was actually born with both arms. But as a teenager, working a summer job, he was involved in an accident that meant one of his arms was pretty violently pulled off.

In this Flashback episode, Jeff talks about how that happened, and what he did in the minutes immediately following the accident. And here’s what’s kind of funny – Jeff told this story a few years ago here on the podcast, and in spite of how horrifying it is, I have had so many listeners tell me they loved hearing it because Jeff is so funny!

And after his story, you’ll hear the brief modern-day conversation I recently had with Jeff to find out what he’s up to more these days – and it turns out, he’s STILL being funny.

If you’d like to contact Jeff: [email protected]

He’s also in the WWTL podcast Facebook group: WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook

Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/200

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:

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

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 to beat.

And there are other categories – you can be addicted to eating, gambling, dieting, or even petty crimes such as compulsive shoplifting.

Today’s guest is Fenna. She stumbled into her addiction without even realizing it. In fact, she works in mental health and she didn’t even realize that what she was experiencing WAS an addiction.

Fenna was addicted to a person.

Fenna’s YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@followingfenna

If you’d like to contact Fenna, you can do that through her website:

https://FollowingFenna.com

Subreddit for limerence:

https://www.reddit.com/r/limerence/

Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/199

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:

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

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

Magic mushrooms:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybin_mushroom

Ketamine therapy:

https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/blog/trip/what-is-ketamine-therapy/

When Redbox got acquired:

https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/redbox-deal-close-chicken-soup-for-the-soul-entertainment-1235338943/

AAA TripTik – they still exist!

https://triptik.aaa.com/home/index.html

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:

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

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 mother’s car to the Sandy Hook Elementary School. The front entrance doors were locked, but he shot his way through the glass panel. He then carried out one of the deadliest school shootings in US history.

26 people were murdered at the school that day. Six of those were adult staff and faculty. The other twenty fatalities were children. All of them were age 6 or 7.

One of those children was Emilie Parker, an amazing 6 year old girl.

Today you’re going to hear from Robbie Parker, Emilie’s dad, about what happened to their family that day and afterward. And the famous radio personality that made their grief so much worse.

Content warning: this episode includes discussion of child death as a result of a mass shooting

If you’d like to contact Robbie, you can do that through his website:

https://RobbieParker.net

Robbie’s book:

https://www.amazon.com/Fathers-Fight-Taking-Jones-Reclaiming/dp/1635769833

Alissa’s book:

https://www.amazon.com/Unseen-Angel-Mothers-Story-Healing/dp/1629722790

Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/198

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:

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

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 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:

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

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 he did, then he went to the contestant interview, and he passed that as well. And he actually got on the show. It didn’t solve his money problems though – even though he did well, he lost to a 5-time champion – by two dollars. Rather than earning any actual money, his parting gift was a bedroom set which forever became known as the Jeopardy! bed.

But twelve years later, he decided to try again, on a different show. In the year 2000, he was able to get on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, which at the time was hosted by Regis Philbin. This game show experience was very different.

Phil’s appearances on Who Wants to be a Millionaire:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEPMGv0S9Hc&t=2257s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QLq2Hq8_Dk

Phil’s wrote a detailed account of his experience:

https://www.ranker.com/list/behind-the-scenes-who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire/philgibbons?ref=profile_pub

Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/197

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:

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

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.meredithforreal.com/podcast-episodes/episode/7ca413c4/ep-247-or-is-your-food-causing-your-depression-nutritional-psychiatry

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:

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 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

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.

Today you’ll hear from Ray. At one point in his life, Ray was way above average in a category that no one wants to be above average in. He weighed over 500 pounds. He knew his weight was way up there, but it was when they weighed him at the doctor’s office that he realized how high it was. So he made the decision to do something about it, and his turnaround has been amazing. He now runs ultramarathons – these are footraces from around 30 miles to even 100 miles.

This is a Flashback episode. Ray came on the podcast and told his story about 5 years ago, so I wanted to bring him back on and ask the question that everyone wants to know – has he kept the weight off? You’ll hear the answer to that, right after our conversation.

Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/196

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:

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelpc.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