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Their view: Robert Mueller, please call your office!

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Search for robbery suspect in Plains Township ends

<p>With the exception of football season, I normally do not watch a whole lot of television.</p><p>For me, even with nearly two hundred satellite channels, there are only a handful of shows that are truly entertaining and worth the time. As such, I probably watch less than two hours of television a week. (Not counting when the TV is on, but my eyes are closed. &#8230; That happens sometimes!)</p><p>Just a couple of weeks ago, however, one of the shows I thought was very funny and enjoyed watching ended after its 279th episode. &#8220;The Big Bang Theory&#8221; first aired in 2007 and, after 12 years, was one of the longest running sitcoms in television history. The comedy featured four brilliant, but socially awkward science nerds and a very attractive female neighbor. While they all had their quirks, the main character, Sheldon Cooper, also tended to be very arrogant and self-centered.</p><p>In the final episode of the series, Sheldon and his wife, Amy, won the coveted Nobel Prize for Physics. As his world began to change, Sheldon&#8217;s rudeness and selfishness pushed away those who were closest to him. After finally recognizing this, he set aside his prepared acceptance speech and talked about what matters most in life &#8230; the love of family and dear friends. It was a profound moment and a powerful ending to a great show.</p><p>In his speech, Sheldon said that the honor didn&#8217;t belong to just him. He made a point of saying that he was under the misapprehension that his accomplishments were his alone. He realized that &#8220;nothing could be further from the truth&#8221; because, over the years, he was encouraged, sustained, inspired and even tolerated by his family and friends. His accomplishments were only possible because of them.</p><p>Although the show was fictional, of course, the simple truth behind &#8220;The Big Bang Theory&#8221; is that, despite our own quirkiness, we all need the love of family and friends. There is very little we accomplish on our own, and without human and social connections, success is elusive and happiness is impossible.</p><p>Core to our work at the United Way of Wyoming Valley is the belief that we need each other and that together, we are stronger. This sense of connectedness and interdependence is the very essence of the United Way&#8217;s credo, LIVE UNITED. We believe that the health and strength of our community and our own well-being is dependent on one another.</p><p>Our 2018 United Way campaign co-chair and this year&#8217;s Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce Athena Award honoree, Tara Mugford Wilson, drove these ideas home last fall when she hosted a dinner for many of the United Way&#8217;s most generous donors. At the dinner, Tara asked all the guests to reflect on the achievements each of them has had and to think about the mentors in their life and the love and support they received from family and friends to help them. Her point, as Sheldon Cooper made, was that none of us really succeeds by ourselves.</p><p>Tara also asked those who have achieved success to help others. This is the spirit of the United Way and, for nearly a century, the United Way of Wyoming Valley has connected our community&#8217;s most at-risk children, families, and individuals to the resources they need to help them meet their basic needs and move forward in life.</p><p>Sheldon Cooper, in closing his fictitious speech, addressed his family and friends with the final words spoken on &#8220;The Big Bang Theory&#8221; by saying, &#8220;&#8230; I love you. Thank you.&#8221; The United Way can also say the same to our donors and volunteers who really care about our community and are providing hope for a better future for many. We truly are grateful.</p><p>Speaking of love, football season is less than 10 weeks away. I need to find the remote!</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Bill Jones, president and CEO of the United Way of the Wyoming Valley will be one of the panelists at the 'Children in Poverty' discussion May 1 at Misericordia University in Dallas.</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_5.1-Events-Children-in-Poverty.jpg</photo0><caption0>Bill Jones, president and CEO of the United Way of the Wyoming Valley will be one of the panelists at the 'Children in Poverty' discussion May 1 at Misericordia University in Dallas.</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Bill Jones</p><p>Guest Columnist</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Bill Jones is President and CEO at United Way of Wyoming Valley. He can be reached at 829-6711 ext. 1230.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Their view: We all need family and friends to help us along our way