THE Woman is not The Answer. So says the worthy Jirac speaking before our little group last night, and I, being in The State, so to speak, was stunned into clarity. It was as we say in the old country the falling away of the heavy coat in the first heat of spring. It was a time for listening. It was time for me to hear what he had to say. I was ready. The Woman is not The Answer. I listened and the breathing within my chest eased. For the first time in months the air did not seem foul and thick like a carpet in my mouth. Also my ears popped. Also I found brightness in the light before my eyes. Life had become technicolor. I pounded my fist on the bench and the man next to me looked up. I begged his pardon. He looked strange at me, you can imagine. His eyes full of suddenness and fear. But after a second, when he saw the light in my own eyes, he smiled and said, It's cool, man. He meant, I think, no harm was done. Jirac at the podium frowned and halted only momentarily in his speech, which major thrust of was Unloveliness in Liberation Not of The Spirit.