Visceral Response - Comm3560

The first glance at this little metal ball isn't particularly gripping. In fact, some might not even know what this ball  is meant for. Of course, the argument can arise that this ball may be  plain, but it does have a sort of magnetism. The simple lines and shadow of the ball encapsulate something almost mesmerizing.

For those that are unaware, this is what's called a "Blender Ball". It's goal is simple: to make mixing various drinks and powders easy. This is not why I find this piece of metal beautiful. About ten months ago, I had hit rock-bottom. I was overcome with depression, self-loathing, my grades had hit the lowest point of my scholastic career, I was an absolute wreck. When I woke up in the morning, I felt zero motivation to do much else besides roll over.

A coworker approached me one day and asked if I had been feeling okay. I replied honestly, and told him that I had never felt worse. That coworker introduced me to what would eventually become my stairway out of the prison I had been locked in. He introduced me to fitness. The very first piece of fitness gear that I purchased was a little plastic bottle. The bottle itself was nothing to look at, but inside sat this little shining ball of metal. As silly as this may sound, when I saw that shine for the first time, I felt inspired. I felt as though I had found an escape after blindly finding my way through blackness. The round form elicited a sense of dignified perfection, the way the metal holds itself in a spiral resonated with me, telling me that if this little ball can hold itself up, so can I. It's hard for me to explain why this little piece of metal means so much, and it sounds silly to call something so simple "beautiful". This ball played an integral role in finding myself, and loving myself.

If someone understands what it takes to commit to something, to overcome something, to achieve goals, I'm sure they can see the same beauty in this simple design that I see with each and every use.