You're not alone. Hollow words for any tender soul smiling through the day while hiding a deep sense of loneliness. For such a soul--like Dawn Downey--the friendliest encounter becomes an exercise in alienation. In her essay titled, "A Traveler's Tale," she describes a stroll through her neighborhood. "A dust mop of a puppy bounded toward me, her brush tail slicing the air with 'hello come play' and a young woman on the...