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If a glowing portal opened right in front of you today, would you dive in headfirst or run for cover?
Season 9, Episode 4, October 7, 2026
I am pulling back the curtain on The Westlow Anomaly this week. That story takes place in 1939, and I wanted every detail to be right, because details are what make you believe the world. The radio show playing in the car is a real 1939 broadcast, Fibber McGee and Molly, a comedy that actually aired in Ontario, Canada, where the story is set. The handgun Mrs. Fairweather fires near the end is a Smith and Wesson K-22, popular in Ontario in 1939. And the car is a Pontiac Arrow, a popular Ontario car that year. None of it was guesswork. I put on my research cap and dug until it was authentic.
Then there is the big question at the heart of it all. Some people would jump through a portal without hesitation, explorers hungry for another world. Others have real stakes here: family, responsibilities, careers they do not want to lose on a one-way trip. It reminds me of those Mars mission interviews from a few years back, where candidates were told there was no return flight. Back when I was young and single with nobody depending on me, I would have signed up in a heartbeat. What about you? Would you step through?
Key takeaways
- Why I research period details like 1939 radio broadcasts, handguns, and cars instead of making them up
- The real 1939 details hidden inside The Westlow Anomaly: Fibber McGee and Molly, the Smith and Wesson K-22, and the Pontiac Arrow
- The portal question: are you the kind of person who jumps in, or the kind who walks away?
- Why a one-way trip to Mars and a glowing portal ask the same question about what keeps us here
FAQs
Who performed in The Westlow Anomaly?
Amber Boetger as Mrs. Fairweather, Leo J. Allen as Colin, with a special thanks to Timothy Kimo Brien of the Create Art Podcast.
Should I hear the original story first?
Yes. If you have not heard The Westlow Anomaly yet, go listen to it first. None of this will make much sense otherwise.
How can I support the show?
Leave a thank you and a little loose change at https://buymeacoffee.com/earthstories. Every bit goes toward making more stories.
Links
- Welcome to Earth Stories: https://welcometoearthstories.com
- My YouTube channel, The Writer’s Compass: https://www.youtube.com/@TheWritersCompass
- Leave me a voice message: https://speakpipe.com/Welcometoearthstories
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