"The Fifth Season"

       Talking with relative and friend Michael and somehow got onto the clothing business.  I asked Michael if he'd heard of "the fifth season."  He hesitated but thought he knew what it was:  "It's the Christmas holiday season."

       "Well, clothing and other businesses do make a third or 40% of their profit for the whole year at that time, but no, that's not it."

       "What is it?"

       "There's winter, spring, summer, fall . . . and slack."  I told Michael it was the entire joke of a play called The Fifth Season about the "shmata" business I'd seen on Broadway while I was in the Army and attending Information & Education school near NYC.    It was really a show that visiting tired businessmen might have found entertaining.

       But I remembered the joke!  And Michael was laughing at it now.