To Build a Fire

To Build a Fire

Author: Scott Johnson & Glassbox Media. September 26, 2025 Duration: 1:03:05
When I started this podcast more than seven years ago, the primary factor was based on just one fundamental concept: the impact of a good story.   For each What Was That Like main episode, you hear a story. The guest is telling the story of what happened. Many of the stories are traumatic, many include loss and grief, and there are those that are happy as well. Even the heavy stories often end on a positive note. But the common factor is that they are all things that actually happened. The guest is talking about an actual thing that they experienced.   The story you’re about to hear in this episode would fall into the category of fiction.   In a recent episode, my guest was David, and he was talking about being in the extremely cold north, and not being able to find a cabin that he knew was nearby. That one is episode 225, called “David couldn’t find the cabin”. In that episode, I opened with the first few lines from one of my favorite short stories – To Build A Fire, by Jack London. Reading just that short section made me want to read the full story again.   And that’s what I’m doing in today’s episode. Jack London is my favorite author, and I love this story because he really puts us in the mind of this man, and his thought process, and his range of emotions.   So we’ll first have a quick break for a couple of sponsors who make the show possible, and then we’ll get into this story. Please enjoy this amazing work by Jack London… To Build A Fire.     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   Try Mint Mobile for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a moment in many lives when everything changes in an instant-a sudden encounter, a split-second decision, a catastrophic event. What Was That Like-True Stories. Real People. is built entirely around those moments. Host Scott Johnson, alongside Meredith Hackwith Edwards, steps back to let people narrate their own extraordinary experiences in their own words. This isn’t a narrated documentary or a dramatized re-enactment; it’s raw, first-person testimony. You’ll hear the intricate details of surviving a grizzly bear attack, the chilling silence after an engine fails mid-flight, or the profound disorientation of being caught in a public tragedy. Each conversation delves deep, not just into the event itself, but into the emotional and psychological journey that followed. The focus is on the human spirit’s resilience, exploring how individuals process trauma, find courage they never knew they had, and ultimately rebuild. This podcast sits at a compelling intersection of personal journal, societal study, and true human drama, offering an intimate window into realities most of us can scarcely imagine. By listening, you’re granted a privileged seat at a kitchen table conversation where someone is finally ready to share the full, unvarnished truth of what they endured and how it shaped them.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People.
Podcast Episodes
248: Adam fell during a phone call [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:19
Sometimes, technology can almost seem like magic. That’s how I think sometimes about cell phones. I mean, you can just pull a little device out of your pocket, tap a couple of things on the screen, and suddenly you’re ta…
TQ58: What's one of the stupidest things you've ever done? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:50
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's one of the stupidest th…
247: Alyssa watched her abuser burn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:31
If you’re in the Austin, Texas area – let’s meet up. I’ll be in Austin the second week of March – and this is 2026, for you listeners of the future – we’ll have another in-person Listener Meetup on March 11. This is wher…
246: Sarah's son can't talk about his pain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:23
As parents, you want your child to be healthy and happy. And you’ll do anything to make that happen. But that’s not always easy when your child is autistic. Science and medicine has learned a lot about autism, but there’…
TQ57: What did your boss do that made him/her the worst boss ever? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:42
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 did your boss do that mad…
STAS 12: William Moldt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:34
The case of William Moldt shows us that sometimes a mystery has to wait for technology to catch up. Sponsor deals: Visit AuraFrames.com and use promo code WHATWAS at checkout to get $45 off. If you’re 21 or older, get 25…
245: Honor encountered an angry hippo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:12
Here on the podcast we’ve several episodes with guests who have told the story of being attacked by an animal. These include a grizzly bear, a monkey, a shark, a rattlesnake, a tiger, a pair of dogs, an alligator, and a…
TQ56: What are you starting to hate as you get older? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:43
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 are you starting to hate…
244: Justin found his mom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:17
Sometimes, there comes a moment in your life when everything changes. You might have a little warning ahead of time, or it might come as a complete surprise. It might be a surprise that makes your whole life better, or i…
243: Scott woke up from a coma [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:31
I wonder if this ever happens to you. Maybe you’re visiting someone and you’re staying overnight. Or you’re on a trip and you’re staying in a hotel or an Airbnb. And that first time you wake up, you have a brief few seco…