The Weirdest Thing I’ve Seen Today
August 31, 2025
Source: Amazon
I was in the process of grabbing a towel, glanced over at my roommate’s shower caddy, and froze. On the caddy, nestled between shampoo and a loofah, was something that turned out to be a camera lens blower—though it looked like a strange black ball with a red nozzle. My first thought? Maybe a nose cleaner or some sort of really fancy grooming thing.
Nope. One quick double take later, it was confirmed: camera lens blower.
I’ve not seen one of those in years.
What Was It Doing There?
I picked it up and rolled it around in my hand for a second, totally perplexed. Did he use it to clean his ears? Was he blowing off beard hairs? The thought process didn’t make sense. This thing didn’t belong in, or near, a shower.
It Took Me Back
As I got past the oddness, it dawned on me. I actually knew what this thing was. In high school, we used to use those to blow dust off of film lenses. They were in every camera bag—with the lens cloth, spare batteries, and canisters of film.
I remember my teacher having one in a little leather case because it was like a family heirloom. They did work, and pretty well, there were never scratches or streaks, just one puff of air, and the lens is clean.
There was something really satisfying about using it, also. It was almost like squeezing a stress ball but with a purpose.
A Tool from a Different Time
Before anything from a phone can close in on a 20 megapixel lens with a 160th of a second of shutter speed, a camera lens blower was standard equipment. You were good with your gear. As one little speck of dust could ruin a shot.
I remember my uncle using his on his old binoculars. He didn’t even take pictures; he just liked provided lenses. He also tried to blow dust off his car dashboard. It looked serious, but didn’t really accomplish anything.
Still, the Shower?
I do not know. I haven’t asked my roommate. Maybe he uses it to blow moisture out of earbuds or razors. Maybe it slipped in there, who knows? It doesn’t matter; it invoked a memory.
It Brought Something Back
Seeing that little contraption brought back a whole experience. Film rolls. Light meters. The silent moment before pressing the shutter button. You didn’t take thirty pictures to get one decent one, you got twenty-four frames, and not one was a throwaway.
You don’t see a lot of lens blowers anymore. But obviously, they are out there, and they are useful—for cameras, keyboards, game consoles, or whatever collects dust.
One More Thing
Finding a camera lens blower in the shower was out of the ordinary. But it reminded me about the possibilities of objects triggering memories. It doesn’t have to be something large. Sometimes all it takes is a strange little rubber ball.
And, who knows, maybe I will get another one. Just to have. Maybe (probably) not in the shower though.