What is junk?

My colleague Nambiar, some years ago, had told me some funny definition about 'junk'.   I was unable to recall  the exact wordings when I started to write this post.  I took 'outside help'. It came in the form of my blogger-friend Raji Muthukrishnan.  To my luck, she was online.  I thought she was the right person to ask if she knew about that and gave a key-word-jumble from my cluttered memory.  From her memory she came up with "someone's trash is another's treasure" but it was not the one.  She asked me to wait as she was going out soon.  

Promptly, she came back some hours later.  She had consulted the 'Urban Dictionary' and found two definitions.  One of them was in fact, the one Nambiar had mentioned me.  I had asked Raji because I was aware of her intellectual resources to tap at the exact place on the web.

Here they are:  Definitions of Junk.

~ Seemingly useless rubbish which sits around for months and is inevitably disposed off, the day before it is needed.

~ Stuff that you keep lying around forever, and then throw away two days before you need it.

As if aware of that, I seldom threw away things, unless and until their full value was squeezed out or if they were completely useless or badly damaged!  Not throwing away things seems to be some people's wont.

Deccan Herald Sunday Supplement had this article on the same subject [on 20th May, 2012].

True junk. Odd iron pieces I sold for recycling.  The wooden container was used in our cowshed, before my time, 70-80  years ago.  It was on the attic.  Now broke in my time. May be I'll cut one day and use as firewood.

Old latches, door hinges and door bolts, beaten back to shape. The carpenter who removed by pulling them off rashly from the old doors had bent many of them into 'anger causing shapes'!  Old is gold and bold, so I told myself to reuse the old gold, boldly.  Old quality is unbeatable. They have been fitted nicely again to new doors!

Screws properly removed were reused [century old]. I remade the groove on the head using a hack-saw to enable firm grip of the driver on refitting. Others bent and rusted are not used.

Junk again. That is a garden pot holder stacking junk!

Looks like junk.

More junk. Seems so, but most were reused.

Junk corner.

Dismantling the tiled roof and house, we got this treasure. Termite damaged wooden rafters of teak!  The carpenter cut off the damaged part and gave it to me.  He kept the good wood separately for taking to the mill.

This was the best of the lot.  Now it adorns a 'show-shelf' in the hall, neatly cut flat!  Termite art! 

Two old and unusable oil lamp stands 'repurposed' as 'helmet holders'.

This 'repurposing' is a new word.

Junk junk junk. Enjoy more images.

Junk corner again, from a different angle. I hope one day, the junk corner will not exist there.  Hope that day will be soon. 

More in the inset of the house.

 Stove holders, rusting.  May be they can be used to hold potted plants.

My garden..... squeezed between two sheds, one on the left has junk waiting to be unjunked.

Charcoal stoves, rusted.

Wooden pieces - good for use... but for what?  Till an idea strikes, they have to lie here, there or somewhere.  Too good for firewood and too bad to keep!

There are many "Master Junk Converters" [as my e-friend Sue puts it] that have creatively done wonderful things, but when will my junk melt away from its place?  I have a dozen watches and clocks, but I just cannot find time!! :)