Tag Archives: Greg Hague

Animal Dads — The Good, The Bad, The Savvy

Leave a reply

“A happy family is but an earlier heaven.”

George Bernard Shaw

by Greg Hague

Animal dads. Human dads. Different in ways. A lot just the same.

Most dads face similar challenges. Wives who know more than we do. Kids who don’t have a clue. (They probably do. What do we know?) Some dads (animal & human) risk life and limb just to mate. And some — well, they’re just total flakes.

From awful to awesome, let’s take a look at a few animal dads. The good, the bad, and the savviest of those non-human heads of their home (or pack). We humans may not always do right, but hey — at least we don’t gobble our young with an un-fatherly bite.

The Good — Wolves

Animal dads, wolves

Family time with Gray Wolves.
Photo: Steve Jurvetson.

Wolves are playful, protective dads. They’re also loyal, loving partners. The usually monogamous alpha male may stay with his alpha she-wolf for life. The alpha male and female are typically the only ones who will breed in a pack, until the “crown” is passed on to a new pair.

During courtship, the young “lovers-in-wait” grow close and affectionate. They often play together, even sleeping side-by-side. As mating season approaches, their bond becomes ever stronger. READ MORE 

Dad’s Incredible Toaster Plan

Leave a reply

“Sometimes you don’t know what you have until it explodes in your face. Keep your eyes open. Be fleet on your feet.”

—Harold “Chubby” Hague, Businessman, Remarkable Dad, Toaster King

by Greg Hague

My dad’s nickname was Chubby. I never knew why though, he was so fit and trim. “A name he picked up in the Air Force during the war,” Mom said. I asked him once… “I had that name before I knew I had it!” he laughed. “My old war buddies stuck me with it. I still have no idea why. I mean, look at me!”

After the war, Chubby came back home to Cincinnati. Married mom. Had me and my sister, Linda. Many of those war buddies came home too, and they needed to buy homes. Dad saw an opportunity.

Dad's Incredible Toaster

Dad’s Incredible Toaster Plan

A short exam. A fifty-cent fee. He picked up his real estate license at the local apothecary (how times have changed). The Harold W. Hague Company was born.

Dad worked incessantly. His company flourished. Most clients needed loans to buy homes. He saw another opportunity.

Dad founded Columbia Savings and Loan. Rented a small building right across the street from his real estate office. In those days, a savings & loan earned a profit the old fashioned way — by accepting deposits, then making loans from those deposits. Dad needed deposits.

Introducing Dad’s Incredible Toaster Plan!

READ MORE 

Life Lessons From Remarkable Dads

Leave a reply

“Don’t look back — you’re not going that way.”

—Chubby

Today’s post is a collection of life lessons.

My dad said lots in very few words. In one sentence he often said all. These nuggets of savvy I call “Chubby Rules,” named for my dad.

I’ve shared Chubby Rules with my sons for 25 years. Some were from Dad. Others I’ve gathered along the way. At Savvy Dad, we write stories about remarkable dads. What they do. What they say. How they impact their kids.

Today we do something unique. It’s a collection of lessons from an array of great dads. It’s a gold mine of savvy in very few words — modeled after Chubby Rules from my very own dad. Here’s an original Chubby Rule:

“Learn something about everything, everything about something.”

life lessons READ MORE 

How Do You Know When Your Dad is Mad?

Leave a reply

“No one can lie, no one can hide anything, when he looks directly into someone’s eyes.”

—Paulo Coelho

by Greg Hague

Stark white rims. Dark rose lenses. “Guessing Glasses,” according to Dad. “I have to guess how she feels!” Dad said.

How can you tell when your dad is mad?

Mom in her ‘Guessing Glasses’

The year the company discontinued “her style,” she bought all they had. White rims. Dark rose lenses. Mom’s guessing glasses. One day I asked, “Mom, what’s the deal with the white sunglasses? Always the same pair. You never take them off.”

She smiled, “Greg, how do you know when your dad is mad?” That’s easy, I thought. “The vein in his forehead pops out,” I replied.   

“Exactly,” Mom said. “It’s a signal, right?” I nodded in agreement. I knew this well. (Pay attention. This next part is good.)

“That’s why I wear sunglasses,” Mom whispered. “What do you mean?” I asked.    READ MORE 

Savvy Dad on Worry and War

Leave a reply

“Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow,
it only saps today of its joy.”

-Leo Buscaglia

by Greg Hague

October ’62. Cuba. Missiles. Blockade. Nuclear War? I am 14…old enough to know the mess we are in. A U.S. U-2 spy plane takes photographs of Soviet SS-5 land-based nuclear missiles 99 miles off our coast. Staged in Cuba, they are pointed at us.

Dad Says Why Worry?Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko sternly warns the U.S., “Don’t attack Cuba.” To liven things up, Soviet warships head our way. Our military is at DEFCON 2, the highest ever. Newspapers, television, radio; conversations at work, school and play focus on nuclear war.

In class, our teacher graphically illustrates the effects of nuclear fallout. Day after day, we practice nuclear attack drills (essentially, we hide under our desks).
READ MORE 

Adventures with Dad

Leave a reply

“No, no! The adventures first, explanations take such a dreadful time.”

—Lewis Carroll

by Greg Hague

Summer of ‘88. Flagstaff, AZ. Camping with Dad & Roseann. My name is Corey. I was 6. My brothers: Casey was 5. Brian at 9.

Adventures with Dad

Casey, Corey, and Brian dressed for adventure

We begged and begged Dad, adventure this time! “Hunting,” we said, “We’re ready to die.” Older brother Brian carried the weapon of choice, a BB gun full. Also, our sack of dried peaches for fuel.

I sported a Rambo knife. Little brother Casey had plastic Chinese throwing stars and foam nunchuks affixed to his side. Dad carried my compass so we wouldn’t get lost. Camouflage, bandanas, and black face paint; off we marched into the woods.

Dad strolled down the trail as we darted around. We crunched in the leaves and hid behind trees. It was a blast. As we emerged from a ditch, I thought The trail’s not there! Dad sat on a stump, a few feet away.    READ MORE 

The Weight of His Father’s Shadow

Leave a reply

Wealth. Access. Status. Options.
Kids of fame have it made.

Today’s story is about Scott Newman, son of Paul Newman, garnered from public sources.

“Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul.” –Democritus
his father's shadow

Paul Newman and his son Scott Newman

Paul Newman is remembered for much. Star of the screen. Stunning good looks. A 50-year marriage. “Newman’s Own” foods.

Scott, Paul’s only son, dwelt in the darkness of his father’s shadow. Joanne Woodward, Paul’s second wife and Scott’s stepmom, commented, “When the kids go anywhere with him, they can be pushed aside by fans, as if they don’t count, as if they’re nothing in themselves.”

A friend observed, “He was always competing with his father’s image.”
READ MORE