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What Does EldonUp Mean?

Perhaps I should explain the Tag <EldonUp> on my blog: .

I have worked hard since I was about 8 years old. First on the farm in Maine, where I was expected to work every day at the tasks that had to be completed:

  • Hilling the corn, and chopping down the weeds at the same time,
  • Calling the cows in for milking, and making sure they were in the correct stalls,
  • Cleaning the gutter behind the cows after the milking, and cleaning their stalls.
  • Picking (selectively) cucumbers to be sold to the pickle factory. (Certain sizes of cukes are more valuable to the picklers. Our goal was to make as much money as we could.)
  • Haying chores: my Uncle Ben got a hay baler the summer of my eighth year. But some fields were still done the old-fashioned way – open-bed truck where one man stood to stack the hay efficiently, and a couple guys on the ground following the truck along the wind-rows, pitching the hay onto the truck.

We were pretty much self-sufficient on the farm. We grew most of what we ate. I was part of the team that cultivated and harvested. At age 8.

I learned a lot about work and family – and myself – on the farm.

To me, then, EldonUp means, Do your work. Period.

Then, of course, there’s the lawn mowing experiences. You will find a number of posts focused on those. To read one Click Here

To EldonUp means, Tough it out.

I attended a boarding high school in Mississippi. My parents couldn’t afford the tuition. I worked two and three jobs on campus, at the same time, making $0.67 per hour, to keep my bill paid. When I left there to go to college, the school owed me a couple hundred dollars.

To EldonUp means, Find a way to get the job done.

I entered teaching after college. I was not trained to do the grade levels that faced me each morning. I made mistakes, admitted them, learned from them, and didn’t repeat them. To read about this Click Here

To EldonUp means, Learn from experience, and get better at the work.

I worked in construction, as a CNA, in sales, in marketing. Success in each of these adventures was due to fast learning and hard work.

To EldonUp means, Push yourself to do more than you think you can.

There are always reasons why a certain task or goal cannot be achieved. Don’t look at those reasons; don’t focus on the reasons why you can’t.

To EldonUp means, to keep your eyes on your goals. And don’t neglect to recognize new opportunities. Look for new challenges.

Most importantly, I believe in God and the Bible.

Since I was a child I have trusted that God is in control and leads my life. The Bible encourages us to “look Up, for your redemption draws near.” I look for the evidences of the God who is Up, entering and guiding my life.

EldonUp means there is an Up in my life.

EldonUp means all of these things to me. My life experiences, what I have learned from them, and observations about them, are the focus of my blog posts.

This is not meant as a Brag, but as background about what has shaped me and my ideas.

I encourage you to join me on this journey.

Follow my blog by clicking here: Join Eldon’s Blog

Comment or email me eldon @ eldonroberts.com

Thank you for reading.

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Introducing Eldon

My name is Eldon Roberts. I am an educator.

I entered the classroom for the first time as a student when I was seven. Fifteen years later I drove away from the college campus and entered the classroom as a teacher. Forty-eight years passed. Looking back it seems like last week that I began this journey. I had no intention of getting old and retiring.

My forty-eight years took me into a one-room-all-eight-grades experience, a few middle grades classrooms, elementary school administration, a few high school classrooms, two colleges as professor, a consolidated school (pre-K thru 12th), back to a middle grade classroom, then forced retirement. Most of these years I was on contract for 10 months.

My areas of expertise: History, English, Bible, Math, Composition, Literature, technology, success for students-with-disabilities.

During the summer months, I obtained a Master’s Degree, worked construction, sales, CNA, traveled, and planned and wrote curriculum.

We have adopted and raised three children, been foster parents, and many times taken our consolidated family of seven kids camping.

After my retirement I worked in the wedding industry for a year, as Photographer, Videographer and Officiant.

As a teacher I was an early adopter of technology as instructional tools. I blogged with and for my students. I have created and maintained websites for instructional purposes and for personal interests.

Blog Experiences

Blogs in the areas of Motivation, Opinion, Instructional Methodology, Poetry, Music, Philosophy, and Photography have received my attention and care.

On more than one occasion, I began working to develop a blog, hoping for many followers with the idea of monetizing it. I did this on my own, without the guidance of a person who had already accomplished such a blog or two. Each time I gave up in frustration after a short time. I’d make lists of possible blog topics, read and study blogs on blogging, and buy books about successful blogging.

It seemed that I could not get there. This was a new experience for me. I have been successful in many endeavors over the years. I have become accustomed to success.

Retirement, Cancer

Three years ago I was forced into retirement. I had planned to continue teaching until I was 70. That was a dramatic blow to my ego. A year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. That was strike two to my ego.

Teaching forced structure on me. I came to depend on that structure to orient my life.

Cancer treatment forced structure on me. The doctor visits, the treatments, the tests, the schedule of appointments, making it through this one day-at-a-time created structure and routine that I needed. I am now cancer free. Doctor visits are fewer. Treatments are concluded. What to do?

Recently, I was browsing through Facebook when I saw the teaser from GoinsWriter for the free webinar on blogging. I registered, but life intervened and I missed the broadcast. I received an email the next day with the link for the re-play. I was without an appointment, my wife was gone shopping, the house was quiet – in short, I had no excuse. I watched the re-play.

Introduced to Jeff Goins

There was no hype. Jeff was calmly confident about what he was offering. He seemed to be a person I could befriend – he seemed trustworthy.

I bought the course. I re-purposed one of my websites for a blog and began reading and watching the content from the Intentional Blog Course. I wrote my first blog and posted it. Now I am working through the main course titles. I look forward to this adventure and the success that will come with it.

Share

Perhaps you have similar experiences to mine. Let’s get together and encourage each other.

Follow my blog by clicking here: Join Eldon’s Blog

Comment or email me eldon @ eldonroberts.com

Thank you for reading.