When You’re the Only One Who Sees the Full Picture

There’s a kind of ache that builds slowly—not from acute injury, but from the chronic erosion of being unseen.

You try to share a hard-earned success, and you’re met with a blank stare. You describe a survival strategy forged in fire—decades of litigation, environmental damage, emotional assault—and someone smiles and says, “You work too much.”

They don’t mean harm. But your body knows the difference between curiosity and dismissal.

Recently, I felt a glimmer of joy. After months of planning, I secured UV light installation for my furnace ducts, and a full home RO/UV water system is on its way. My dog and I were both harmed by unacknowledged runoff from uphill neighbors, and I’m finally able to take real, preventive steps. Last week, Miguel excavated the French drain and packed it with dolomite rock to improve filtration.

I shared this moment with someone close to me—trying to explain how much it mattered—and was met with a casual, “You love spending money.”

I stayed composed. But inside, my gut churned. Not from their words alone, but from the familiar sting of having the full story go unseen.

Even my former doctor, whom I once trusted, recently sent a message that stopped me cold. After weeks of no response to my updates and medical documentation, she finally wrote:

“Hopefully you can somehow only get non-contaminated water from here on out? Can you get a water purification system?”

I replied—again—explaining that the contamination is coming from runoff flowing through my yard, not from within my home. And that I already have a reverse osmosis and UV system inside the house.

She responded,
“*Oh that’s right — so the contamination happens when you work in the yard!*”

Not quite. It’s not about working in the yard. It’s about living on a contaminated property where the danger flows in from uphill neighbors. That distinction may seem small to her, but to me—and to my gut—it’s the difference between safety and sickness, between truth and erasure.

It’s not just the forgetting—it’s what the forgetting costs.

I’ve also had conversations with friends where I’ve mentioned managing $550,000 in legal debt during my divorce and the fallout from a neighbor assault. One of them blinked and asked, “Do Clare and Fran know?”

“Yes,” I said. “They read all about it in my book ‘When Empathy Fails.’” But I honestly doubt she understands the scale or the solitude of it all.

And then, in the middle of that emotional fog, a small but meaningful light broke through.

I got an email from the staff at Mike Dooley’s Notes from the Universe—thanking me for my guest blog. They published my story about developing a deeply personal project:

Radiant Empathy – A Journey of Heartbreak and Healing in NeuroDivergent Relationships

It’s a video game, yes—but also an emotional roadmap. It blends narrative psychology, interactive storytelling, and relationship science to help NeuroDiverse and NeuroTypical individuals understand each other better. AI helped me bring it to life, but the truth behind it is mine. And for once, I felt truly seen.

I shared that milestone with someone else in my life—and again, the puzzled look. That familiar sense that I was speaking a language no one else quite understood.

Maybe I am. Maybe visionaries do sound foreign when speaking in a world not built for their frequency.

But that’s why I’m building a whole new world:

The University of NeuroDiversity – Radiant Empathy Campus
A hybrid project for children and teens, still in development. It’s part book series, part immersive game, and all heart. This is a world where kids don’t have to mask, shrink, or apologize. Where learning is both emotional and intellectual. Where sensitivity is a superpower. Where characters like Mother Nature—our radiant CEO—guide students on a journey of healing, curiosity, and community.

We’re just getting started—and I’d love your feedback.

I am currently developing a new landing page where you’ll be able to explore all of this: the game, the books, the characters, the campus. When it’s live, I’ll share the link with you here.

If you’ve ever been told…

“You’re too much.”
“You just love spending money.”
“You work too hard.”
Or worse, “I forgot.”

Then this world is for you too.

Because the truth is:

✨ You are not excessive.
✨ You are not alone.
✨ You are the one who sees the full picture—and that makes you powerful.