The Gabonese Pilot is back. That’s right. If you remember, he crashed into me on Valentine’s Day earlier this year.

He was determined to give me the best Valentine’s Day a lady can have.

But, we never hooked up.

He said he was looking all over the hotel for me. And I was looking for him. Then he disappeared and we have been texting and sexting ever since.

Okay. Full disclosure: I was put off because I found out he is married. And I told him I’m not interested in married gentlemen.

But, he kept texting – and I kept replying.

Then suddently his texts stopped. I actually had the nerve to get jealous. And then my computer crashed and I had to take it to get fixed. I went like a month without hearing a word. So, when I got my computer back I sent a Skype text asking why he was ignoring me. He Skyped back immediately saying he isn’t ignoring me. I told him good.

I missed his texts. I liked them. Then he told me he will be in Washington, D.C., and he plans to come visit.

I haven’t texted back…

In the States, most people buy their own car. In my case, my father gives me his old cars once they are really old and and he is ready to buy a new one. In the past, I inherited old Hondas. Now that my father is older and has more money he drives Mercedes, and I recently inherited my first, old Mercedes.

Today, I got the car serviced for the first time at a Mercedes dealership. It was quite an eye-opening experience. I learned that going to a Mercedes dealership is very different than going to a Honda one. For starters, just stepping into a Mercedes dealership costs you $130. This is before the service people even know what is wrong with your car.

At a Honda dealership, for $40 you can get your oil changed and an assessment of any repairs needed. Plus, they’ll wash your car! At the Mercedes dealership, you’re surrounded by wealth and while the service people are pleasant you feel like you have to please them and prove that you belong and are worthy enough to drive a Mercedes. At Honda dealerships, my experience has been that all the male service reps run around trying to please you and show women what gentlemen they are. The service guys are generally middle-aged and not much to look and possibly not much to take home either. But, you walk away with your transmission fixed (wink, wink) and feeling like the belle of the ball. The customers are regular people off the streets while the women at Mercedes all wore diamonds on their fingers and around their necks and the gentlemen were either elderly retired businessmen or businessmen in their prime hammering out deals over their cell phones while waiting for their car to be serviced.

This experience got me quickly thinking about what type of man do I truly need. I always thought I would be with someone successful and financially sound. Like a Mercedes Man. Someone I could build a super, fantastic life with. But, does that come at a cost? Will I be expected to step up the glam and spend tons more on clothing, getting my hair done and make-up? Will his friends and family look me over, seeing if I belong or have the right financial standing or professional achievements to be with their relative?

And what about that Honda Man? Solid, dependable, ready to go. But, not necessarily taking you where your dreams are going. If I went for the Honda man, would I be selling myself short in the long run just to be sure that I make it to the next step in my life but knowing that I probably won’t have a shot at my dreams?

To be honest. I’m still thinking about it. But, I do know that I want a “Mercedes” love with a dependable man…

Rihanna’s “Man Down” released in late June as gotten a lot of criticism for being too violent. In some places, the song has been banned. But, Ladies, we all know these things happen. And, we’re all the better for it by putting it out there, talking about it, and processing it. So we can do the right thing, if it ever happens to us. In the song, Rihanna admits her guilt and knows shooting a man down was wrong.  Singing in her signature  Barbadian lilt, filled with so much emotion, and with a haunting Reggae tune in the background, Rihanna expresses her horror and surprise when she finds herself unexpectedly faced with such a complex situation. What seems like blossoming love ends in a death. Yet, it is refreshing and inspiring to see such a strong statement against rape staged in the background of hip hop culture which can glorify agression against women. Ladies, open yourselves up to the potential of love, but be ready and confident to say “no” to a man who goes too far. No man has such a “right.” But, just don’t do anything to get yourself behind bars! Mr. Right is out there, and you have to be free to get him!

Yep, it has been since Valentine’s Day since I last saw the Gabonese Pilot. We met, promised to start some romance on the Big V Day, and never saw each other again. But, we are fast friends (maybe more…?) via text.  While we haven’t had a long, intense conversation via phone or text lately, the man keeps checking in.  He’s always checking on skype chat to see if I’m available to text – with or without full clothing…!