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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; My favorite Bruce Springsteen song is, without a doubt, his version of a tune called &#8220;Jersey Girl.&#8221;</p><p>Give it a listen, please. We all have sewn some wild oats down by the Jersey Shore back in the day. My buddies and I would go down the shore almost every weekend in the summers &#8212; hit the beach, check out the girls, have fun.</p><p>&#8220;Cause down the shore everything&#8217;s alright,&#8221; Springsteen sings.</p><p>As my most dreaded &#8220;holiday&#8221; approaches &#8212; Valentine&#8217;s Day &#8212; I was thinking about my near-misses in matters of the heart. There are many reasons for my less-than-successful search for a Valentine &#8212; immaturity, stupidity, the inability to appreciate, misguided priorities, immaturity &#8212; yes, that was worth mentioning twice.</p><p>All that said, there have been some good moments, albeit fewer than what could have been. And I suppose, at this stage in my life, I am living with the consequences of a romantic life not lived well, facing loneliness on a daily/nightly basis and the distinct prospect of leaving this life alone.</p><p>My greatest love, I think, was my cat, Lily, who was with me for nearly 20 years and we were living happily ever after until she got sick and left this world.</p><p>But as I find some odd happiness in observing all those happy couples out there &#8212; people who have found their soul mates and who appreciate the goodness of all that a healthy relationship offers &#8212; I have little memories I can share of such moments.</p><p>There was this Jersey girl back in the late &#8216;60s, early &#8216;70s. For some reason, this statuesque beauty took a liking to me and whenever we went down the shore, we stayed at the same motel, owned by the Jersey girl&#8217;s family.</p><p>Over three summers, we had fun and we made a lot of memories. We really did have &#8220;something,&#8221; even though it was mostly on weekends over a couple of summers and not much more.</p><p>Yet this Jersey girl really did care for me and I for her. In fact, about five years after our last encounter, my dad went down the shore with his friends, staying in the very same motel &#8212; at my recommendation. I mean, Jersey girl&#8217;s family took good care of us, allowing us to sleep on the roof where the swimming pool was until a room opened up &#8212; stuff like that.</p><p>Anyway, dad used to tell this story and it&#8217;s funny every time I recall it. Dad&#8217;s significant other and his friends and their significant others checked into their rooms and then decided to head to the Boardwalk. Dad stayed behind &#8212; he had driven down and was tired. So he removed his artificial leg and laid down for a nap.</p><p>A bit later, dad says there was a knock on his door. He hopped on his one good leg and opened the door. There, dad would say, was this beautiful, gorgeous girl in a bikini who at first was smiling, but turned to a frown as she disappointingly said, &#8220;You&#8217;re not Bill O&#8217;Boyle.&#8221;</p><p>Dad mustered all he could to try to convince the Jersey girl that he, indeed was Bill O&#8217;Boyle. After a few minutes, dad and Jersey girl realized that she was expecting me to answer the door. She was further chagrined to learn that two years earlier, I had gotten married.</p><p>&#8220;Sing sha la la la la la la</p><p>Sha la la la la la la la la</p><p>Sha la la la la la la</p><p>Sha la la la, I&#8217; m in love with a Jersey girl,&#8221; as Springsteen would sing.</p><p>I tell that story because it pretty much sums up my record in the Valentine&#8217;s Day category. Yet I still hope. I still think that maybe someday, someone, well, you know.</p><p>My mom used to say there&#8217;s a lid for every pot&#8212; that there&#8217;s someone out there for everybody. But for me, it&#8217;s an unproven theory.</p><p>Not that I&#8217;m a prize or anything, but maybe, just maybe, somebody exists that I could co-exist with &#8212; maybe.</p><p>I&#8217;ve decided I&#8217;m not getting another cat. Just couldn&#8217;t do it. Lily came to me in a dream and indicated she wouldn&#8217;t like that.</p><p>So for now, I will wallow in my lonely world &#8212; but don&#8217;t feel sorry for me. I&#8217;m OK, really.</p><p>And please appreciate the mate you have. Be a Valentine every day. Send flowers on a day when it would be least expected. Open her car door. Cook his favorite meal. Hold hands. Enjoy your time together and appreciate the need to spend time apart.</p><p>Yes, down the shore everything&#8217;s alright. But so, too, it is alright in your world as well.</p><p>Happy Valentine&#8217;s Day.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Bill O&#8217;Boyle </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Columnshot.jpg</photo0><caption0>Bill O&#8217;Boyle </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle, or email at boboyle@www.timesleader.com.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Beyond the Byline: Valentine’s Day can be a struggle