After you’ve been parenting for more than a few years, there’s something you learn.

The way you communicate with your child changes as the child gets older.

When you say something to a toddler, you don’t usually need to provide all the logic and reasoning with it. At that stage they are absorbing information like a sponge, and you’re the primary source of all their new knowledge.

But when they get to the teenage years, it’s a different story. At that point, they might question your advice. So a lot of times, as a parent of a teenager, you might find yourself walking that thin line – you don’t want to just tell them what to do with the “because I said so” logic, because that could just push them farther in the wrong direction. But you also don’t want to see them make a big mistake that could have serious consequences.

That’s kind of the spot Heidi was in, with her daughter Emali.

Emali was with a boy, and Heidi was trying to get her to understand that he was not the one for her. He was controlling and abusive. Emali did realize that eventually, but when she tried to leave, she sadly didn’t make it.

So Heidi is telling the story of her daughter Emali – who she sometimes refers to by her middle name, Renee – so that others might recognize that situation earlier, and get away.

If you have a question or comment for Heidi, she’s in the Facebook group. Come over and join over 7500 other listeners in our amazing discussions – WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.

If you’re in an abusive situation, you can call or text for help:

National Domestic Violence Hotline – thehotline.org – 1-800-799-7233 or text to 88788

Heidi created this GoFundMe to help with expenses:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/helping-hands-for-elianna-rebuilding-life-after-tragedy

Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/184

Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

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.

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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:

If you and your spouse/partner had to switch jobs tomorrow morning with no training, which of you would get fired first?

Links for this episode:

Meredith’s episode about epistocracy:

https://www.meredithforreal.com/podcast-episodes/episode/7eccdbaa/ep-235-or-epistocracy-should-we-be-protected-from-uninformed-voters

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:

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/ #oneskinpod

Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hysterical investigates a mysterious illness that spreads among a group of high school girls in upstate New York. What is causing their sudden, often violent symptoms? Is there something in the water or inside the school? Or is it “all in their head?”

The series examines the outbreak in LeRoy, NY, believed by some to be the most severe case of mass hysteria since the Salem Witch Trials. In his search for answers, Dan Taberski (9/12, Missing Richard Simmons, Running from Cops) explores other seemingly inexplicable events of the last few years – CIA officers being crippled with nausea and vertigo; cops OD'ing from exposure to fentanyl – and discovers they’re far more connected than we realize.

From Wondery and Pineapple Street Studios, this 7-part series forces us to grapple with the mysteries of our own minds, and reckon with a contagion that we thought was long dead, but may be the defining disorder of our time.

Follow Hysterical on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of Hysterical early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery+ at Wondery.fm/Hysterical_WWTL.

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I think accidentally dialing a wrong number is probably the most random way for two human beings to get connected. Even if just for a few seconds.

I mean, think about it. There’s you, and then there’s this other person who you don’t know, and because you dialed a number that was just one digit off, the two of you are now speaking to each other.

Granted, those conversations are usually pretty short. It’s probably not the most effective way to meet new people and make new friends.

But one time, a young man named Henry saw his phone buzz with a text message. The message he saw there was clearly not meant for him. It was from a woman named Kasey, who he didn’t even know. Today you’ll hear what happened after that life-changing text.

Kasey told this story years ago here on the podcast. In today’s Flashback episode, you’ll hear our original conversation, and then an update from Kasey on what’s happened since then. And it’s a lot.

The Winter Fireplace app:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/winter-fireplace/id1041703579

Kasey’s website:

https://kaseybergh.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/kasey.bergh

Instagram -

https://www.instagram.com/kasey.bergh/

LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kasey-bergh-543a505/

Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/183

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.

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iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”

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Sponsor deals:

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/ #oneskinpod

Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The science of medicine has come a long way in the area of how we manage pain.

In the mid to late 1800s, there was a product called Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup. It was sold to parents as a way to alleviate the constant crying of their babies, particularly when a baby is going through the painful teething process.

And it definitely calmed down those infants – possibly because the main ingredient was morphine.

Another medication, popular for treating coughing and diarrhea, was opium.

And when Coca-Cola was first launched, it had two main ingredients: caffeine and cocaine. I guess it’s no wonder that one of their ad slogans was “a Coke and a smile”!

Of course, now we know better. Doctors and scientists have realized that not everything that helps with pain is necessarily something that’s good for you. But even modern day pain medication, stuff that’s supposed to be safe to use, can cause big problems for some people.

One of those people is my guest today, Frank. His experience with pain meds took him down a very dark path, and he didn’t see any way out. Until one day, when he got a surprise at work.

You can contact Frank by email: [email protected]

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) helpline: 800-662-4357

National Drug Helpline: 844-289-0879

Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/182

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:

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/ #oneskinpod

Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas.

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.

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're playing the icebreaker game "Tell a fun or odd fact about yourself" - what do you say?

Links for this episode:

Meredith episode about curse words:

https://www.meredithforreal.com/podcast-episodes/episode/78996692/ep-149-or-what-makes-a-curse-word-a-curse-word-swearing-science

Popping out your eyeball (don’t do this):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6Yrppn-UXY

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:

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/ #oneskinpod

Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I remember one of my first Airbnb experiences.

I was traveling just here in Florida, and I had to stay one night on the other side of the state – in Delray Beach. I picked out a room, and reserved it, and waited for the host to approve it. Back then, I didn’t have much history so there weren’t many other hosts who could confirm that I was a good guest. But it got approved.

And when I got there, I found out the host was an older woman – and I was her very first guest. And she was so nice! She actually cooked me a full meal, and I helped her out with some computer issues she was having, and we hit it off nicely.

But still, I couldn’t help thinking – that night, I was sleeping in one room, and she was sleeping in the room right down the hallway from mine, and it just seemed like it was kind of a dangerous thing for her to do, since she didn't know me.

And apparently her friends had some concerns too. The next morning, while we were eating breakfast, she said one of her friends called her first thing that morning and asked, “So he didn’t murder you or anything?”

That was years ago, but now, it’s just a common thing – you rent a room in someone’s house, you get a place to sleep, they make some money, and everyone’s happy. At least that’s how it usually works.

My guest today, Evi, was traveling as a young single woman, and ended up staying with a family in exchange for doing a little bit of work for them.

And after staying there one night, she made a horrifying discovery.

HelpX: https://www.helpx.net/

Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/181

Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

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:

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/ #oneskinpod

Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas.

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.

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 a rule that you make everyone follow in your house?

Links for this episode:

Plume of bacteria (AKA “toilet plume”):

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

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:

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/ #oneskinpod

Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re married, you know that there will inevitably be some disagreements between you and your spouse.

Could be about the most common things, like finances. Or sometimes you might have a big fight about something really minor, like choosing a restaurant.

Usually, these things get resolved. Reasonable adults can figure out a solution or a compromise, and life goes on.

For Ramon, that’s not how it worked out. He and his wife Lulu had gotten to the point where their marriage could not be saved, and a divorce was coming up. But then Lulu decided to take things to a whole new level, and hire someone to murder Ramon. That’s when things got a little crazy.

This is a Flashback episode. Ramon told this story 5 years ago here on the podcast, so after our conversation you’ll hear a chat the he and I had just recently about what he’s doing today, and the latest news about Lulu.

Ramon’s book:

https://www.amazon.com/I-Walked-My-Own-Grave/dp/0578217651/ref=sr_1_1

Ramon interview on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afxOgtRFJWw

Ramon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealramonsosa

Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/180

Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

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:

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/ #oneskinpod

Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have a different type of episode today.

Normally, we’d be hearing from someone who survived an animal attack, or was in a plane crash, or won lots of money on a TV game show. At the moment we have more than 170 episodes like that.

But sometimes I end up with stories that are not quite long enough for a full episode. But they’re just too good not to use.

So today, you’re about to hear three stories. The first one and the last one are just the storyteller talking. The story in between is a conversation I had with the guest, and he talks about what happened.

And of course to end the episode we’ll have our Listener Story.

So I hope you enjoy this 3-story episode.

Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/179

Graphics for this episode were created by Bob Bretz. Full 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:

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/ #oneskinpod

Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas.

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.

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:

You're handed a box containing every item you've ever lost. What do you look for first?

Links for this episode:

The Hoarder Within Us: The Psychology of Our Stuff:

https://www.meredithforreal.com/podcast-episodes/episode/79631536/ep-215-or-the-hoarder-within-us-the-psychology-of-our-stuff

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:

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.

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.

Go to cookunity.com/What or enter code What before checkout for 50% off your first week.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices