Living in the south for my whole life, the word “reckon” has always been a part of my vocabulary – with “I reckon so.” or “I reckon.” I know others see it as being a bit backwards or redneck; however, I never knew “reckon” was actually a word with a definition in the dictionary.
Reckon Definition
From Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, the word “reckon” means to “calculate“. When I was talking to a friend of mine, he mentioned that, his definition of reckon was “to calculate the facts.”
It changed me completely.
When I learned that, it changed me completely.
Having a math background I know how to calculate anything with numbers but when living life, I never realized that I needed to be doing the same with different situations that arise.
Take for instance, when going through something difficult, I like to write down the facts of the situation. Sometimes it helps see what is really true about what I’m going through and gives me a clearer picture. Only then am I able to make a decision about what is going on.
So, now, I use the word reckon in a completely different way. I no longer say “I reckon.” automatically, but if I do, I have given thought to that sentence.
Has there ever been…
Has there ever been a word that completely changed your thinking like my new definition of reckon? If so, what was it and how did it change your thinking?