My Boss Fired Me for ‘Ignoring Him’ While Wearing Headphones – but the Reason I Had Them on Made a Stranger Come Looking for Me
I was fired from my grocery store job for wearing headphones and “ignoring” my manager. What he didn’t know was why I had them on—or that someone else was watching.
I’m a single dad, and my daughter Ella was born blind. Every night, we have a ritual: I narrate her favorite cartoon episode in detail so she can “see” it through my words. Colors, movement, expressions—I take notes during my breaks at work so I don’t miss a thing. It’s the best part of my day.
One afternoon, while I was on my break watching an episode with my headphones in, my manager stormed into the break room. I didn’t hear him. He ripped out my earbud and fired me on the spot for “disrespect.”
I begged. I explained about Ella, about her school for visually impaired kids, about tuition I was barely affording. He didn’t care.
The next morning, a large truck pulled up outside my house. A man in a suit knocked on my door and handed me a business card—Regional Director of HR for the grocery chain.
A coworker had recorded the incident. The video went viral. My manager was fired.
But that wasn’t all.
The company offered to pay Ella’s tuition in full until graduation, gave me a job at headquarters helping build disability-sensitivity programs, and offered relocation, housing, and double my salary.
That night, I told Ella we were moving.
She smiled and hugged me tight.
For the first time, I didn’t have to pretend everything would be okay.
It already was.
