OctoTexting

72) Useless

AKA. Tweak on recycling. Kwazii's not all that convinced.

Online: I'mOnIt, All4Fun

All4Fun: Tweeeaak, my helmet radio is broken for the third time this weeeeek

I'mOnIt: right, what have you done to it this time?

All4Fun: I haven't done anything to it, I swear! It just keeps dying on me, every time I want to make a call to someone it gets like halfway through then decides to randomly turn off

All4Fun: you must know - you've already tried to patch it up like a million times for me

All4Fun: IT'S DEAD, TWEAK

All4Fun: LET IT GO

I'mOnIt: fine... I guess it's probably safe to say it's on its way out

All4Fun: finally!

All4Fun: it takes you forever to admit that anything's ever broken

I'mOnIt: says the cat who keeps every pirate memento and ball of yarn that he owns

All4Fun: touché

I'mOnIt: anyway, if it isn't broken, don't fix it

I'mOnIt: and if it is broken - fix it anyway, and make it better :D

All4Fun: I think this is a little past fixing

I'mOnIt: I'll make you up a new one as soon as i can, Kwaz

All4Fun: thanks Tweaky, you're the best

All4Fun: I'll just go throw this old one away ...

I'mOnIt: No! Kwazii! You can't just throw it away!

All4Fun: ... but it's useless.

I'mOnIt: Nothing is useless!

All4Fun: er

All4Fun: I'm fairly sure this radio collar is an exception to that rule

All4Fun: it literally doesn't work

I'mOnIt: that still doesn't mean you just throw it away!

All4Fun: but I thought you said -

I'mOnIt: It may not work in its current state, but that doesn't mean it's still not useful in another way

All4Fun: to make a bin look pretty?

I'mOnIt: No!

All4Fun: um

I'mOnIt: hey, I reuse a lot of things

I'mOnIt: if something can't be used any more, first I take any screws and bolts out of it so I can put them into making something new, it saves having to buy anything new too often

I'mOnIt: then I'll strip it down to its bare components, clean or fix it up a little if it needs it, then rewire it into something new

All4Fun: and this conversation has just disappeared way over my head

All4Fun: I could never do all that

All4Fun: I can break them fairly easily, but putting them back together is another job altogether

I'mOnIt: you're telling me

All4Fun: but surely you can't fix up everything

All4Fun: okay, I guess you could reuse the electrics in the radio part, but what about the actual collar?

I'mOnIt: have you never made a patchwork blanket?

All4Fun: er ... no.

I'mOnIt: well, that's a way to reuse random scraps of fabric

I'mOnIt: growing up somewhere where it was pretty difficult to order anything in too often meant that my family have always tried to make the best of what we had

I'mOnIt: we collected enough scraps over time as clothes got too small for us or curtains got  ripped, that sort of thing, then my dad taught me to weave them and sew them into a rag rug or a patchwork blanket

I'mOnIt: it brightens up the floor and it's fun to make

All4Fun: really, it does seem a lot easier just to throw it away

I'mOnIt: how could you? That small amount of blue in that radio collar could make all the difference in the multi-coloured colour scheme of a patchwork blanket

All4Fun: I wouldn't really call that a specific colour scheme...

All4Fun: anyway, what's with all this desperate attempt to recycle everything?

I'mOnIt: I guess I'm just a rare combination of being an Octonaut and an engineer, that's all

I'mOnIt: my Octonaut side tells me that I have to try and save the environment in any way I can, however small

I'mOnIt: and my engineer side just makes me want to reuse everything and anything I can to make and fix things

I'mOnIt: also, i grew up in a kinda poor family, so i have always used everything until it was completely utterly broken, then I'd make it into something new, or take it apart and use the components

I'mOnIt: You see Kwazii, I could take your radio collar apart and use it for a million different things

I'mOnIt: So just because you can't see a use, Kwazii, it doesn't make something useless

All4Fun: Fine, fine! I get it - you're a mega recycler

All4Fun: if I break anything or rip any clothes in future, I'll make sure to bring them to you so you can make a patchwork blanket or whatever

I'mOnIt: thanks Kwazii!

All4Fun: So, anyway... what will you use it for?

I'mOnIt: ... I have absolutely no idea.

All4Fun: Oh

All4Fun: wait

All4Fun: So it is ... basically useless then.

I'mOnIt: pretty much

All4Fun: :/