Wednesday night at approximately 6:05 p.m., I voluntarily stood in the Norwich Police Department’s garage, at attention, as an officer let loose a sudden burst of pepper spray, directly hitting me in the face. Following my performance, a second volunteer was also sprayed.

People keep asking me, Why in the hell did you get pepper sprayed? As part of a police demonstration? A lasting moment of stupidity? To prove something to myself? To have a tale to tell or because I didn’t want to look cowardly for backing out? Maybe I wanted something to write about for the paper?

I had a few passing moments of anxiety here and there, but honestly I just wasn’t very concerned about it. I guess I did if for all those reasons and not for any particular one. It was nice to have a looming challenge and I knew it wasn’t really a life or death affair. I was just curious and there seemed to be a chance for some self growth – the things you’ll discover about yourself when you’re in a helpless, pain-laced and panicked state.

The effects are still lasting by the end of the weekend. They included dry, blood shot eyes for three days, swollen facial features for at least 24 hours and both Thursday and Friday morning, I was unable to open my eyes when I awoke. There are a wide range of responses and you don’t know how one will react to the substance until you’re sprayed. On the opposite side of that spectrum, for example: Officers told me that a weekend earlier they had arrested a man, pepper sprayed him, and he was so messed up on drugs and alcohol that the next day when he woke up in the cell, he didn’t remember it. My response was not typical and thanks to Murphy’s law, I had a more sensitive reaction to the spray than most.