Vocabulary: Stop Saying “Good”

There is a backstory to this manner, so let me start by giving you the insight into why I stopped saying “good”. I’ve dated the same guy for two years now. We met while in college and he was a New England boy, while I was the epitome of a Florida girl.

After about a year or so of dating, we were driving in the car and I was asking him all about his golf tournament that day. I remember specifically asking “if he played good”. He replied, “ya Madison, I played WELL”. This boy is never one to correct me on anything and he’s almost TOO laid back, so this is the only time I can remember him pointing out a flaw of mine, EVER. He simply told me that I need to stop saying “good” and start saying “well”. “It will make all the difference in the way you speak and how people perceive you. This little change will make you sound all the more educated.”

At first, I’m not going to lie, I was annoyed. He got the silent treatment as I sat in the seat stewing about how this boy had corrected me. I’m pretty stubborn and this just wasn’t something I was accustomed to, being told what to do. Then I said, “Fine, you can correct me from now on, every time I say good instead of well”. He was a little weary of this, thinking I was setting him up, but for the next two weeks he would politely correct me each time I made the faux pas.

I’d say it only took a month for it to become habit and now I wouldn’t be caught dead saying “good”, unless it’s to explain how my day has been. But, when asked how I’m doing the answer is always “I’m doing well”. At the time I wanted to kill my boyfriend, but today I realize he gave me such a small piece of advice that truly made the biggest difference. It’s crazy how one word can really change your whole vocabulary.

Here’s Hunter and I the last time we visited his hometown in Massachusetts.