Ms. Viv Ayshus

Ms. Vivienne Ayshus arrived at her new school with vim and vigour. Ms. Viv, as she preferred to be called, hit the ground running and she was true to her nickname, ‘Vivacious Viv.’ She presented as bright and bubbly and her students responded to her in a very positive way. Behaviour was never an issue as her students had what seemed, unconditional positive regard for her, and many would say how much they looked forward to coming to school each day.

She smiled often, and her dangly earrings would catch the sunlight and sparkle like she did. Not only did the students like her, but the parents did also, as they knew that their children would have a great day at school with Ms. Viv as they would report on returning home at the end of the day. Many of her teacher colleagues also appreciated the value she added to the working environment.

Ms Viv was an asset to the school and education, so you’d think it would be onward an upwards from here. Surely a person of this calibre would become a permanent fixture, and the kids would hope they’d be in her class next year, and if not, they’d see her smiling face around the place.

Ironically, this was not so, as Ms Viv’s attributes, as positive as they were didn’t sit well with a fellow staff member. You see, Ms Viv, whose light lit up the place, dulled the sheen of another who couldn’t abide someone who seemed as popular as she. In fact, if the truth be known, Ms Viv beat her nemesis hands down in the popularity stakes. She was kind, caring, professional and highly respected by students and others who thought she was the bees knees.

Narcissists seek the attention of others to feed and bolster their fragile egos. They don’t seem to have the capacity to maintain a positive sense of self without the approval of others which they have learned to need.

 Ms. Prudence Putty-Nose’s putty nose was put out of joint. She had cultivated the admiration of the principal whom she called to her classroom to observe the wonderful things she was doing or had done on a regular basis. He would come at the drop of a hat because she was special in his eyes and that’s just how she wanted to be seen; admired and indulged as she was entitled to be. He would drop everything, on call to tend to the needs of his very needy teacher colleague. She was confident that he would do anything for her.

So, Ms Putty – Nose planned to remove her nemesis, the much-loved Ms. Viv Ayshus and she did, with cunning and malice of forethought. What did she do?

-          She got people on board by spreading rumours about her quarry. Teachers bully teachers!!

-          She surfed the internet to get information she would use to slander her victim e.g., slut shaming was a strategy of choice

-          She would tell the principal things about Ms Vayshus that were made up lies

Ms Putty – Nose would do this without shame or conscience because she believed the fantasy of her own lies. She didn’t care for her teacher colleague; she cared for herself and her need for approval and attention. What kind of mind would entertain such behaviour? The mind of a narcissist.

Ms. Viv Ayshus eventually had to move on for the sake of her health and she left without thanks and the respect she deserved and Ms. Putty-Nose was happy for a while until the next time the world dared to suggest she was anything other than the special person she believed she was. To what lengths would she go to get the attention she needed?

(These are fictitious characters and any resemblance to anyone living or dead or who seem that way or just smell a bit off is purely coincidental)