The director fired a man because he decided, for the first time in nine years, to take a vacation, but what the man did in response shocked everyone.

The man worked at a large technology company in cybersecurity – as a senior engineer for data protection systems.

Almost no one saw his work: at night he checked servers, prevented hacking attempts, and closed vulnerabilities. Thanks to him, the company avoided millions in losses for many years.

But almost no one noticed. For nine years, he hadn’t taken a single vacation.

He wasn’t even absent when sick and couldn’t fully attend his daughter’s school events. Every time he had to choose – work or home – he chose work for the sake of the home and his child, whom he was raising alone.

And when he finally took only nine days of his accumulated legal vacation to take his daughter to the sea for the first time and rest a little, the company’s new director could not accept the idea. 

The director did not know this man. He only saw his name on the employee list – a person with no absences, but a “not very active” worker.

And in the end, without recognizing his right to vacation and without knowing him personally, the director fired the man.

However, in response to all of this, what the man did shocked everyone.

You can see the continuation in the first comment. 

— You fired me this morning, — he said calmly.
The woman was confused.

Armen smiled. Not bitterly – tired, but with dignity.

— And honestly, for the first time, I understand that this is not bad news.

The woman remained silent.

After this, Armen did not return to his former company.

He did what he had only thought about for nine years.

During his vacation days, at night, when Nare slept, he opened his old notebook in which he had stored his own ideas for years. He began writing his own security system – for small businesses that couldn’t pay large companies but were vulnerable.

Two months later, Armen registered his small company.

At first, he had only one client. Then two. Then – a school, a clinic, a local bank.

After a year, his company was already protecting the data of dozens of organizations.

But the most important thing was not that.

The most important thing was that every day at five o’clock, Armen turned off his computer, went to school, and waited for his daughter.

And when one day Nare asked:

— Dad, weren’t you scared that you would be fired?

Armen smiled and looked at the same sea, by the shore where he had allowed himself to stop for the first time.

— No, little one.
The only thing that scared me was that I might never understand who I really am… without the title that others give.