I've never done a pull before, in fact, the idea scared me. When I was offered the opportunity to do one, I was extremely skeptical at first, but after thinking it over, I finally decided that it was an amazing opportunity and I would be a fool if I let fear stand in the way, So when the Rites Of Passage BBQ in Pittsfield, Massachusetts came up, I had to say yes and ended up going with my friend Julia (iam: afilmbombs) and Barry (iam: IHeartStuff4E).
At A Glance Author Sarah Contact Sarah@bme.anon IAM exposure When A week ago Artist emery's Studio His backyard! Location Pittsfield, Massachusetts When I got there, the Rites Of Passage staff had me sign a consent form that included a list of medical conditions I had, what doctors I was seeing, my medical history and if I had a history of being anemic or fainting. After I finished the form, Julia, Barry and I decided to go get food because Julia suggested that pulling on an empty stomach would be a bad idea. We went to the Big Y and got chicken wings and then headed back to the BBQ to eat.
They began making calls for the first time pullers, which of course meant Julia and I, and we went inside to get marked, hooked and ready to be rigged. Inside there was a massage looking table and sterile materials. I made Julia go first because my anxiety and fear were out of control. Though I've had several piercings, nothing compared to the look of hooks going into someone's back flesh. While she was being pierced, I was talked into calming down because it would make the piercing experience much easier. She was finally hooked and I was next.
I was stood up facing the wall while Cere pulled on my back and asked me which side felt more comfortable. The left side felt much less like it was being pinched so we decided to mark for piercing on that side. He used ink and a toothpick to draw the lines on me and I laid down. I was relieved to hear that they would be piercing me at the same time. On the count of three they had me inhale and as I exhaled, they pushed the hooks through the marked spots. It pinched and there was much pressure, but aside from that, I was fine! I had been worrying for nothing, but that was the easiest part.
We followed the crew over to an empty spot in the field where we could have free run to pull away from each other and one of the ROP people slipped the ropes into the ends of my hooks. I heard them rigging Julia up and then felt a soft tug as I felt them rig us together. It was finally time for us to begin what we had come to do; pulling.
The experience in itself wasn't painful. Walking away from her intially burned and stung but it began to feel more and more like a strong pressure. The ROP crew member who was my coach taught me that by alternating shoulders I could alleviate pressure from one shoulder to the next and be able to pull much longer. Since we were out in the rain, bug spray was running into Julia's eyes and we were only able to pull for about a half an hour, but we got quite far in distance and stretched the ropes to their limit. It felt almost relieving to be pulling. I wouldn't call it religious, but it felt like being free for awhile. My mind and body felt connected to each other somehow even though I was connected to someone else and trusting someone else.
After we were done pulling, we had to be "bled out." That part sounded scary to me, but it was much easier than it sounded. They laid me back down on the massage table and took out the hooks. They pushed and massaged on my back to get out the potential air pockets and clotted blood. I was told I had no air and no bleeding! I was psyched for that news. I was disinfected just like I was before the hook insertion and told I was a biohazard for the next 48 hours and to be careful what I leaned against. Unfortunately, I accidentally leaned against someone but they got cleaned up just fine.
Sleeping that night wasn't too bad. My back didn't hurt. It has taken a couple of weeks for the scabbing to go away and even then, I still have some marks on my back, but they're barely visible. The experience was worth the scarring, believe me!
If you're thinking of doing a pull and have reservations, don't! The positives outweigh the negatives and the pain is minimal, especially if you're already into piercings. You'll get an amazing experience and a great story. My hooks are hanging from my wall like my prized possessions and I am quite proud of myself.