PREPARE YOUR EYES TO READ AND YOUR HEART TO RECEIVE AS YOU TAKE IN THE WORDS THAT LOOK TO CHANGE LIVES, RENEW HEARTS, AND OPEN MINDS.
Advanced users of Microsoft Excel are familiar with the IF function used within the program. "The IF function allows you to logically compare a value and what you expect by testing for a condition and returning a result if that condition is True or False. (=IF Something is True, then do something, otherwise do something else)." We also often use the IF function in our lives to our advantage. It's 4 am, and you just had an epic night hanging out with your friends, but the effects of the alcohol have you hugging the toilet, and you utter the famous words, "if you let me live, then I won't drink again." How about two people that engage in unprotected sex, and now they face the possibility of pregnancy, the words "if you allow for me not to be pregnant, then I will never have sex again until I marry." We have all said or thought, "if they pay me more, then I will do more." Also, let's not forget about the medication commercials that warn of the possible side effects; if we take this, this might happen. We all know about cause and effect, which introduces the if and then result. If you do this for me, then I will do this for you. As parents, we instill this in our children by saying, "if you get a passing score, then I will give you some money, or if you stop crying, then I will get this toy. For some, it is a manipulation tool; for others, it prevents you from being used. Can you imagine if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had the if-and-then mindset when he first began his crusade for equality? If I speak out against racial injustice and suffer police brutality, I will not continue my fight. If I don't receive support from others, then I will give up. If I have to do this for more than two months, then it is apparent that nothing will change. As we celebrate the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I continue to hear the phrase, "this is not a day off, but a day on." This holiday is an excellent opportunity to think about how we can better ourselves as individuals and better our society. We can do things such as volunteer our time and donate food or clothing, but most importantly, we remember the hardships that people have experienced so that we can have the freedoms that we have today. Remembering MLK's legacy, don't use your IF and Then code to serve yourself; use it to advocate for the fair treatment of all. "Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I dream that one day this nation will rise and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.
