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
213: Gwen's grandma fired one shot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:03
When you hear the word “grandparents”, what comes into your mind? For me, it’s someone who loves their grandchildren unconditionally. And they just want to GIVE all the time. There’s some truth to the phrase “If Mom and…
TQ35: What's the most difficult thing you've ever had to tell someone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:48
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 the most difficult thing you'…
212: Steve's wife forgot it all [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:04
If you’re a parent, you know that the birth of your first child is an incredible experience. For Steve and Camre, it didn’t happen at all the way they expected it to. Steve got the call at work that Camre was at the hosp…
211: Leilani fell off an elephant [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:12
Asian elephants are incredibly huge animals. An adult elephant can be roughly 9 to 11 feet tall. Just standing next to one is pretty intimidating. But imagine being on top of one of them. It would be like if you had an a…
TQ34: What made your neighbor so terrible? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:35
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 made your neighbor so terrible?…
STAS 2: Floyd Collins [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:34
Floyd loved exploring the caves of Kentucky, but one day things didn’t go as planned. 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…
210: Tiffany had a fake landlord [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:06
The thing about living in an apartment or renting a room is… you have to deal with other people. Depending on how the building is laid out, it’s almost like living with strangers. If your next door neighbor accidentally…
209: Kevin did CPR on the golf course [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:27
Imagine you’re out in public, just going about your day. Let’s say you’re in the grocery store. And as you’re pushing your shopping cart down the aisle, you notice a tall man, maybe 10 feet ahead of you, looking at the i…
208: Carly saved her neighbor's life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:10
I’ve had more than 200 people come on this podcast and share a story of something crazy that they’ve been through. If nothing else, I’ve learned one thing. Life can change in an instant. For Dan, he’s just enjoying the o…