Shiloh

Meet my Beagle friend Shiloh.

I will likely only see him once a year if that. He was at the annual Oktoberfest up North at the Cabins where my Dad has a place. In checking around the web, Shiloh is a name for a book about a Beagle it appears. Pretty sure it is no classic tome in the Western Canon.

Soon after meeting Shiloh, I crossed paths with a yappy miniature Collie. Like a Bonsai Dog. Looked like a Collie, just smaller. Petting the Collie, name unknown, gave me little commensurate joy as did petting Shiloh. I had a Beagle as a kid and there is something about boys and dogs.  When the dog passes, as did Gus (my Beagle) when I was six, a part of my childhood died with him. He was shot under mysterious circumstances.

I will always stop to pet a Beagle. Anytime, Anywhere. They bring me happiness. I was wondering about the name Shiloh though. In the Old Testament, it is where the Tabernacle was situated when the Israelites entered the Promised Land. It means "Peace" or "Town of Tranquility." Although Beagles are adorable, they are hardly peaceful Zen Buddhists. Most are ADD, hyper, and barking machines.

The Cabin my Dad has was his parents. In a project worthy of the Federal Government in terms of not meeting timeline benchmarks, my Dad has been working on the Cabin for 20 years. Besides a garish painted blue plywood floor in the Great Room that he and I debated about last night--him drawing inspiration from K-Mart Queen Martha Stewart--he has done a good job dragging the Cabin back into civilization.

Here is one Cabin in the complex that looks like the Before picture for Dad's place.

Never quite sure of the story behind the disrepair. Owners get sick and perhaps pass away, the kids live too far away or don't want the place. And so it sits. Speaking of old structures, my Dad is almost 81 and he was dancing away yesterday. I really admire his zest for life.

I wasted little time upon arriving on Saturday in cracking a beer. I brought another one because I was a little frazzled from fighting some traffic along the way...the buddy system. 

The Yuengling Oktoberfest a good beer. Very sessionable--a beer that can be enjoyed all day. Fairly low in alcohol, it is perfect for a late summer day. I donated a case to the cause and the brews were all gone except for three stragglers this morning. Someone had thrown an empty Bud bottle in my cooler, sacrilege.

Here is a picture of the lake where the Cabins are situated. Real On Golden Pond vibe...

I always hit this book up when I come to the Cabin...it is a work about Existentialism....

It is a spirited, yet lost cause, defense of the need for Philosophy in the modern age. Living with wisdom no longer seems to be a concern of our society. We believe in consumerism and distraction, Bread and Circuses as it were.

During WWII, C.S. Lewis gave a series of talks about Christianity on the BBC during the darkest days of the war, that was later turned into the book Mere Christianity. I had sent my Dad this copy after reading it in 1984 and it wound up at the Cabin. I brought it back home with me as I have great affection for this copy. C.S. Lewis convinced me, like he did many, many others, that the Christian faith is reasonable and one could be intelligent and believe. Plus, he was such a fine and gifted writer. 

   

I strive to write with some creativity and style, while holding onto Orthodoxy. I am not sure people respond to Theology any more if they are not Church people. But, anyone who has at least half a mind needs to ponder existence. I see myself more as a Philosopher than a Theologian. I think the Faith addresses the deepest issues of existence and provides reasonable, not easy answers. 

Or, you could believe the nonsense Donald says....wonder if this is good at the local corner taco truck? Not sure how my Dad obtained the counterfeit cash...

Eric Bierker Ph.D is the author of "On The Edge: Transitioning Imaginatively to College." A book for the college-bound. Check it out!