Editor’s Note: These pieces are intended to offer a deeper look into each episode of surfer Fergal Smith‘s Line9 series, Growing, a new clip published every two weeks. The series is a year in the life of Smith and his brother. With a new clip published every two weeks, the series follows them as they take a step back from the rat race while spending days tending to a sustainable garden and surfing the readily available Irish slab.
Author’s Note: My main reason for doing this series is for showing the what else I’m passionate about — aside from surfing — and to try to promote all the good, positive things that people are doing.
While my brother Kev and I were at home over Christmas, we called to see my childhood mate Eamonn. I knew he had started working with wood, but I had not been out to see him in his workshop. I am not sure if anyone else finds what he does interesting, but I think it great. It’s not even about what he’s doing: it’s the following of his passion that buzzes me the most.
Eamonn is the smartest guy I know. He was always the top of the class. Whatever he puts his mind on he becomes a pro at it. Musician, surfer, swing dancer, rock climber, rower, dive instructor… you name it — he is just an all-around legend. He studied environmental science and got a job as an ecologist for a couple of years but gave it up to work with wood. I love when people follow their dreams and go for it, especially when it involves the environment.
And he really cares for the environment. Instead of just doing surveys and writing reports about it for work, he now goes out into forests to find fallen trees and bring them home to make useful implements for us to use. He has become minder of the woodlands in a way. Because of his knowledge of the flora and fauna, he knows when a forest is healthy or not and can report back and try to do something about it.
People like Eamonn need be saluted for following the passions and not conforming to the so called norm. Following your dreams is never easy, but these are the people we need in this world, the ones who really care about the environment.
Eamonn and myself did everything together until I started chasing waves around the globe. It was great to come home and see what he was up to. He is an inspiration for me in following my passion and keeping life simple and working close with nature. Eamonn, as I said, is a clever dude and could be doing anything he put his mind to but has chosen to stay rooted at home (doesn’t fly on planes anymore) and is doing a job that probably won’t make him any money but it’s enjoyable and keeps him connected to the real, natural world. That means a lot, as we are often convinced that we should get the dream job with loads of money and go on holidays and life will be great. I was traveling all over and I loved every bit of it and could happily do it forever, but there is something more real and grounding about being connected to where you live and what you are doing. We don’t need a high-paid job to be happy and it’s great to see a friend my age opting out of the rat race to do what he enjoys. I strongly believe when you follow your heart and do what you love that everything will work out just the way it should.
One of the main reasons for doing this series is to show people following the dreams — the dreams that usually don’t get talked about. Listen to your heart and follow it wherever it leads you and it will be the best thing you ever do.
Learn more about Eamonn and his New Old Workshop.
Watch more episodes of Growing:
Episode 5, Four Boards and a Piano
