My name is Holly. Life has taken me on many interesting journeys. My favorite though, was when I returned to visit my home in Phoenix, AZ for the first time since childhood. Phoenix has changed a lot, needless to say, and I was intrigued by all that I saw. I met this man there, John Gomes. He inspired me to learn a lot about life as well as turn me onto a whole new world. He had some interesting piercing that let me know my simple ones were only touching the surface of Body Mod. Before I met him I had never seen an implant. He has implants on the tops of both his hands, it amazed me. I had spotted Joe in Miami, FL, this guy with a mohawk made of steel. But the other things I saw when I was invited into John's world left me slack jawed and feeling like a hick.
At A Glance Author ALucidSilence Contact christalvision@yahoo.com Artist Steve Hayworth AND John Gomes Studio Steve Hayworth HTC Location Phoenix AZ It was funny, but coming from KY as I did I thought I was aware of the body modification scene. I had a few small tattoos and the typical piercing, which back home was taboo enough. My tongue had been pierced, my nipples, my navel, you know all the trendy things. I had a tattoo of a rose, ahh how sweet, it was my first. Also and ankh on my leg. Since this visit to Phoenix though I have begun working on my back piece. It is a scene of purgatory. But on with the story right.
John would have frightened the people in the small town I had just left. I loved it. We hung out for a while that first night and I listened to him talk of Flesh Hook Suspension. It baffled, dazzled and frightened me all at the same time.
I spent a lot of time with John. He really is the most interesting and truthful man I have met in my life.
In our journeys together he took me to see a friend of his, Steve Hayworth. Steve blew me away. He is so intelligent and extremely intoxicating in his presence. It turned out that I was totally intrigued by this flesh hook suspension they kept talking about. As fate would have it, or maybe it is just the path I chose to walk, I was at Steve and Becky's one night that they were doing some suspensions.
I watched the various suspensions, some vertical, some horizontal, some didn't make it off the ground. I decided I wanted to experience this. I have many reasons for wanting to try it. But the one that pushed me to asking them to suspend me, was the fact that if I could go through with it, I would prove to myself that I could overcome anything, even myself.
There was a nice clean room in Steve's house for the piercing procedures and I noted that they were extremely sanitary. I liked that.
The night went on, one after the other I watched as the people went up. Becky was so sweet, like a mother cat nursing her kittens as she talked the people through their fear. She truly is a beautiful person.
I waited patiently for my turn and as I lay on the table my mind spun in a million different directions. They pierced me together, John and Steve. One on either side of me. They were so sweet, making jokes to relax me and soothing me with their comforting voices and gentle touches. No brutality here, sheer professionalism and friendship.
One after the other they pierced me with 6 gauge hooks. Twelve of them total. One in each calf, one in the back of each thigh (these hurt the worst), six in my back and one in either elbow. Everyone kept reassuring me that this was the worst part of the whole thing and as the last hook was set I was certain that if I could live through that I could make it.
I liked the piercing and wondered if I could keep them. No such luck, as they are impractical to wear all of the time.
As I lay face down listening to the crank come down on top of me, all of my thoughts were spinning. I trusted these friends of mine so there was no fear. Only anticipation. I was completely sober for this experience and since then I have found that I enjoy life much more this way. As they hooked the equipment to me I wondered how badly it would hurt, moments later as it slowly began to crank up I found out. Burning pain ripped through my entire being and I screamed. I could feel my flesh separating from the muscle. It seemed an eternity, I did not stop though. John talked to me in a very calming voice, as always extremely logical. He told me the more I fought the pain the more it would hurt. He was right. I stopped fighting against the pain.
The most amazing thing happened a few minutes later, the pain stopped. It was the most incredible experience of my life, hanging there above him. I hung for a while and when they let me down my entire body was more relaxed then I had ever been before. As was my mind. The next few days the feeling of relaxation lingered. I was in love. To this day the smell of a piercing studio, the conversation of suspension, or the warmth of an April night in Phoenix takes me back to that moment in time when I realized just how separate the flesh is from the mind.
I look forward to flying back out to Phoenix and enjoying this again soon.