Just Stand UpA Memoir of Christy Lundgren

Tennis ShoesI was the son my dad never had. Playing sports? I was in. Talking sports? I could hang. Watching sports? Where’s my seat? Anything active or sport related and I could be counted in. Soccer was my main sport, but I could play anything if I knew the object and rules. I could often be found with my tennis shoes on, playing with the boys.

I played on both JV and Varsity soccer in high school before ending up on a co-ed intramural league the fall semester of my freshmen year at Michigan State. In October of that year I tore my ACL, requiring surgery the following May. Months of physical therapy went undone when I stopped working out upon arriving back at MSU. I hadn’t yet been cleared for high impact activity and stopped everything. Wearing my tennis shoes to walk to class was as much as I did. I stopped running, I stopped playing, and I started going to the bar.

“Some walked the campus of Michigan State, others the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and still yet some the halls of the schools I have taught in.”

As the years went on I watched myself gain weight. I still called myself “an athlete” but had nothing to show for it. I would become winded in seconds if I were to attempt anything faster than a walk. I didn’t like the way my clothes fit or the way my body looked. I wasn’t pleased with what I had become, but didn’t do anything to correct the problem.

After graduation I moved home for the start of my internship. Eating at regular hours (not 3 AM) with limited nights out started my slimming down. I moved to Georgia in July and began life as a grown up. On my own I ate healthier and began working out. I wore my tennis shoes to walk on the local trails, which progressed into my first 5K run, and eventually taking part in a boot camp workout at 5:30 in the morning. I love how I feel when I’m active. I like how my body looks and how my clothes fit. It is as if I got back to the real me. The tennis shoes were always on. The real me was always there, though a bit hard to see and appreciate. The strength and flexibility that I’ve acquired over the years of wearing tennis shoes shaped me into the person I am today. My shoes are on with the laces tied; I am ready to take on the world!

Suwannee Greenway, the site of my walks

Tennis Shoes = Me

Tennis shoes, while very connected to activities I enjoy doing, are also a metaphor of me and my life. First, I moved from Michigan to Georgia; tennis shoes are useful when you’re on the move. They are dependable, supportive, and provide comfort. I too possess those qualities in life, be it in the classroom or my personal life. I love when I get a new pair of tennis shoes. I don’t want them to get dirty or wet, but they eventually do after normal wear and tear. That is how my classroom life is. I start off a school year rested with a list of goals to achieve through the months. As the year continues I may get worn down but still have the same underlying purpose. My first three years of teaching had plenty of trials. While not ideal, these hardships have been met with success, making me a stronger, more flexible individual, just as the tennis shoes do to their wearers.

Bottle It Up

October 25, 2002 was the end of me riding a bike. It was on that day that I was headed down Wilson Road towards the Chemistry Building on Michigan State’s campus. I was headed to CEM 141 on a rainy, Thursday morning. I put my hood up, pedaling quickly to get to class, out of the rain.“We have a nineteen year old female, who keeps asking if we’ve called her parents or if her knee is okay.” Those were the first words I remember hearing. I realized I was in an ambulance being taken to Sparrow Hospital. I then made the effort to rephrase myself. “Do you think we can call my parents soon? I just had surgery on my knee. Is it okay?”Next I knew my pants were being cut from the ankle up, towards my groin. “What are you doing?!” “Your pants ripped. You’re bleeding,” I heard in response.

“This isn’t just any sand. The bottles are filled with sand from different locations.”

When I arrived to the hospital, a police officer was one of the first to greet me.“Do you remember what happened?” he asked. “No.” “You were hit by a car. Do you remember that?”“I was?”“It was a white car. Do you remember a white car?”“Um…Yeah I guess I remember a white car.”“What do you remember?”“I, uh, I guess I thought I could make it.” (Now, you need to know that I would never dash out in front of a car. Knowing how I am and what I would mean, I actually meant, “I was in the middle of the road, saw the car, and thought I could make it across the street.”)It wasn’t long after I arrived that I saw my roommates and parents. My knee was checked out and all was fine. I suffered a mild concussion from the impact. I had a black eye and some scratches on my hands, face, and legs. I looked like I had gotten beat up, and I had. The car won. My bike had been totaled. The frame was completely bent. I was no longer a bike rider. I walked to class every day. It took more time, but I was safe on my own two feet.

Fast forward seven and a half years. I was in Hilton Head with two of my friends in April of 2010. With bike paths all around, I was left with little choice. It was either walk while they ride or ride along side. I didn’t want to be left behind so I rented a bike. I was shaky and used extra caution when crossing the roads, but I did it! I road a bike again after all those years! To bottle up the experience, the joy I felt, the memories made, the fear overcame, I bottled up some sand from the beach. That bottle of sand now sits next to the other bottles I’ve collected through the years. All bottles represent other moments within my life. They all hold stories. These moments have shaped me into the person I am today.

Big Red Boat Cruise with the Karricks, Summer, 1993

Jessica, Brian, Christy, Julie

Family Vacation, Virginia Beach, 1995Jessica, Brian, Christy, Julie

Summer in SarniaEvery summer I enjoy Fridays

Fridays mean friendship, fun, and families,They also mean the beautiful

Shells, sand, sun, and skyAlong the water side.

Off the beach is shuffleboard(If you even get the privilege)Scores being yelled 7, 8, 10!

Next to the court there is a soccer game going on“She’s on my team” they yell.

All this fun ends when Sunday comesWith moans and groans we sadly leave and say,

“We’ll be back next week.”Every week goes on and is followed by a lot of fun.

Man I love this place!SARNIA!

Christy Lundgren, 1996

SARNIA…TodayYears have passed, things have changed

Sand and shells? They’re still there.The water level’s low, but in ya go!

No longer is there shuffleboard,For the yellow house is soldRalph and Glor come to visit

And still have fun I’m told

The family and friends still come by the bunchesA two bedroom cottage – Man! You should see our brunches

We pack this joint weekly, and do it up rightYou say anything different and I will put up a fight

I may not come as often,But it doesn’t change how I feel

This place is still my favoriteAnd I mean that for real!

So, consider yourself lucky,To read this on the wall,

You’ve made it to my favorite placeThank you one and all!

Christy Lundgren, 2004

Spring Break 2001, Panama City Beach, FLMelanie, Christy, Michelle, Kelly, and Melanie

Pre-Internship Study Abroad in New South Wales, Australia, 2006

Christy, Carol McNamara (host), Laura

Getting Back On The Bike

There is a saying about “Getting back on the bike.” I took some time to get back on the bike. Over 7 years in fact. Every day in teaching is like getting back on the bike. There are some days I walk out of my classroom, exhausted. Nothing went as planned. My lesson crashed and burned. Students were off task or did not understand what they were to do. I fell off the bike on those days, the days that I question myself and my abilities. Then there are the days that I leave school with a bounce in my step. My students were good friends to one another, understood the directions, and proved their learning through their performance on various tasks. It is on these days that I road my bike hands-free, without teetering. On the bad days, when I fall off, I remind myself to “get back on the bike”; hands-free riding is around the corner.

I teach the way I live. I talk to my students the same way I talk to anyone else in my life. I believe that respect is the foundation in any relationship. In my vignettes I talk of the people and events who shaped me into the person I am today. I have the ability to shape my students into the people they will become in the future. My teaching will impact their views on school, friendships, teachers, and life. While my goal in teaching is not to make 20 new friends every school year, developing a caring relationship with my students makes my teaching and their learning more successful. I give respect and expect it in return.

Both vignettes tie how important being active is in my life. I am always on the move. I don’t like to sit still for too long in fact. Similarly, my classroom does not force students to sit still for too long. We sing, dance, and move throughout the classroom during activities. Literacy Centers, for example, allow students to choose their center and where they will work. Children do not need to sit if they do not wish to do so. If they do sit, their seat is not assigned. Once they finish with their center, they move on to the next center of their choosing. I understand that I myself cannot sit still for extended periods of time. Likewise, five and six year old students need the opportunity to move throughout their learning.

I use the stories of my life to model the writing process to my students. The events and activities that I write about provide my students insight to my life outside of school. Students not only connect to my life, but also learn various writing concepts and skills. Writing about walking the Suwannee Greenway, going to the beach, or riding a bicycle are all relatable experiences for the students in my class.

Just Stand Up!The experiences in my life have made me a better teacher. I come to work each day with a positive outlook. Attitude is everything. I plan on smooth bike rides, but I am prepared if I fall off. To my students I am dependable and supportive, yet flexible to fit their individual needs. Regardless of the obstacles throughout my journey as a teacher, I know that everything will be alright - Just Stand Up!

Just Stand Up(Performed by: Carrie Underwood, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé Knowles, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Melissa

Etheridge, Natasha Bedingfield, Miley Cyrus, Leona Lewis, Keyshia Cole, LeAnn Rimes, Ciara, and Ashanti)