On my way to the art opening I paused, then turned  back and looped around the building, like a restless dog turning in circles before laying down. Approaching the crowded little space wedged between a red-bricked apartment building and a narrow dumpling shop in Chinatown,  I wondered if my presence would be a misshaped puzzle piece. Either a bit too big , displacing the harmony of a group of friends, or too small, the space around my solitary figure conspicuous. But of course it wasn't like that at all. It almost never is. People do their best to find common ground. To accommodate you and your particular curves and edges. Strangers smiled and made open-ended friendly comments. Their words  little welcome mats. I spoke to a woman about the purchase I had made of a porcelain figurine and then asked about theirs. I saw a girl taking photos with an Instamatic film camera and seized it like a lifeline. We talked about slides, black and white Ilford film, and developing labs. She proffered a plastic bag to carry my package then said "good luck" and went on her way. Another small corner of the city had become undarkened.