Have you ever had an experience where there was a lot of hype and glorification of a product, and when you tried it, it was not as good as expected, or was just an awful product in general?

I think everyone has, myself included. It reminds me of a slinky. When I was young, I lived in a house with a flight of stairs, and Slinkies were glorified because they could “Walk down the stairs”. This amazed me as a small child, and I wanted to see it. So I pestered my parents until they bought one. The moment it was in my possession the excitement in me was almost palpable. I ran up the stairs as fast as my little legs would take me, knelt down, sat the slinky down, and watched…

As it didn’t do anything.

Now, as you can imagine, I was very disappointed. My slinky was “faulty”. However, as I learned how to play with my slinky, I realized that it bounced and swung and that I could throw it at my sisters from a distance and still get it back.

Though the example is juvenile, through that slinky I learned something: Everything can be used, even if not for its original purpose. Do you have a stick of eyeliner that is too difficult to use, or is just an ugly color? Don’t throw it away, give it to your three year old with a piece of paper. A mirror that was broken when you got it with no receipt? Use the pieces in a mosaic, or put it up as is for a conversation starter.

Oh, and a slinky that won’t walk down the stairs? Use it to teach other people how to reuse and recycle seemingly useless things.

About the Author:

Jayne Haney
I’m not quite an adult yet, and I hope I stay that way for the rest of my life. There isn’t much to say about me, except that I love writing and sharing my own personal experiences to help other people.