Tag Archives: Trigs

Better, Faster, Cheaper

“You can have it all. You just can’t have it all at once.”

—Oprah Winfrey


Today’s story is about Air Jordans and Brian Hague.

better, faster, cheaper

The Hague brothers, Corey, Casey, and Brian (l to r)

Over time and after a few missteps, we tend to learn the inescapable trade-off between better, faster, and cheaper. It’s a great lesson to share with our daughters and sons.

When my son Brian was seven, he asked Santa for a pair of basketball shoes. These weren’t just any basketball shoes. These were the latest, coolest, most talked about shoes on the planet.

The year was 1985. Nike had just released the “Air Jordan,” named for the Chicago Bulls’ draft pick and superstar, Michael Jordan. At the time, these were the most expensive basketball shoes on the market.
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Fifty-Dollar Dad

“Live as if tomorrow is your last and you will never regret the yesterdays passed.”

—Brian “Trigs” Hague


Today’s story is about Phil, the fifty-dollar dad.

Jack is an enterprising young lad. The youngest of four boys. Definitely driven.

fifty-dollar dad

He’s been working extra chores for two weeks. Saving up. Just a few bucks more. Rationing his snack money. Selling old baseball cards. Whatever he can.

50 dollars. A dream to most 8 year olds, but not to this little man. Jack saves while his brothers spend. He works while they watch TV. $4. $9. $17. $29. $44. $49. And then, he is there. Fifty bucks in his hand. Jack has a plan. READ MORE 

Father Time

“Are you fighting with your father, or losing time with your dad? Father time.”

—Brian “Trigs” Hague


by Brian “Trigs” Hague

I never really knew my grandfather, Chubby. I was too young to remember what he was like. I wish I could remember the day I met him for the first time. From what I’ve been told, it changed my dad’s life.

father time

Brian, Chubby, and Jason, taken on the day dad and Chubby reunited. Chubby still looking a little “shook up.”

Dad returned to Cincinnati after law school to work for Chubby’s real estate firm. They quarreled occasionally, as fathers and sons do, especially in a family business. Dad told me later he realized it was mostly his fault. He was school educated, so he presumed he was also business smart.

My dad and my granddad disagreed on how to run the business, a lot. One fight went too far. Horrible things were said. A standoff ensued. My dad worked in a second floor office. Chubby’s office was downstairs. They didn’t speak for six months.

My mom was pregnant with me at the time. I was born May 24, 1978. Almost twelve pounds. Mom had a cesarean section, and needed a few days in the hospital to recover. Dad was overjoyed. His first-born son. READ MORE 

One in Each Eye

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

—Wayne Dyer


Today’s story is from Brian Hague about his dad, Greg Hague.

Winter of ’92. I was 14. Denver bound. A father-son ski trip. Dad had a conference for his company there, too. I would finally get to see him “perform” for a big audience.

dad

Dad and me before our spaghetti dinner, 1992

The first day was incredibly fun! Bombing the slopes, racing to the bottom on every run. A battle against each other. Against ourselves. Against the mountain. We capped the day with an incredible spaghetti dinner.

The next morning — the conference was HUGE! Five hundred people looked like five thousand! I was terrified. What if he choked? Froze up?

I sat in the back corner, holding my breath as Dad took the stage. What happened next remains one of my most vivid memories, and a valuable lesson on life. No outlines. No cue cards. No charts or graphs. He spoke to that crowd like he was speaking to us at the dinner table. Totally relaxed. Poised and assertive. Funny and engaging. READ MORE