Highland Fling to Hacking
Ruth Suehle takes us on a fun, zigzagging journey through her delightfully kaleidoscopic life as she embraces all her passions and encourages us to embrace our own
Ruth Suehle is one of the most fun and adventurous people I’ve ever known. She fearlessly pursues a kaleidoscope of passions and curiosities - from Scottish Highland dancing to open source software, cosplay, and so much more. As she puts it, “I’ve always said there is zero chance I will be on my deathbed going, 'I wish I had cleaned the baseboards more.’ So, I will make you an amazing dinner, but the dishes will still be in the sink, and that is the price of admission.”
During our conversation, Ruth shares how she has woven together her diverse interests into a rich, rewarding life that defies any single label. Her unique story reminds us that we have the power to say "yes" to all the colorful fragments that make us who we are.
An Unconventional Road
Looking back, Ruth's path has been one delightful zigzag after another, following her curiosity wherever it leads. With an undergrad degree in journalism, she landed in the world of open source software - first at Red Hat for 15 years, and now building an open source program office at SAS, an AI and analytics company. Embracing the zigzags has allowed Ruth's multifaceted passions to fully bloom over the years in beautifully unconventional ways.
When asked about her definition of success, Ruth's response reveals just how much she has thoughtfully crafted a life in alignment with her values and sense of fulfillment. For her, the typical corporate benchmarks and accolades are less important than looking back with deep contentment over the unconventional, self-directed path she chose to wander.
“Do it all. That’s my plan. I think my guiding influence is seeing a lot of people - generally adults - adults are often unhappy, and I thought, not that. So many adults are so miserable all the time and don’t try to change it. I don’t want to be those people, so I make choices to keep that from happening.”
Redefining Success on Her Own Terms
This outlook frees Ruth from the constraints of societal pressures or predetermined roadmaps for how a person's journey should look. Instead of climbing a career ladder, she has embraced going wherever her kaleidoscope of curiosities beckons - be it into the worlds of technology, Scottish Highland dancing, cosplaying, mermaiding (yes, that’s a thing!), baking, or any other passion that ignites her imagination.
Beyond crafting a joyful journey for herself, Ruth also derives great meaning from positively impacting others through the sharing of knowledge and mentorship. She hopes the legacy she leaves is one that sparks others to give themselves permission to be kaleidoscopic, too.
Her redefinition of what it means to live a "successful" life is an empowering reminder that only we get to author the stories of our respective journeys. True contentment flows from going all-in on the multifaceted possibilities that stir our souls.
“I think success is getting to the end of life’s road and being happy with the journey, being happy with that road that you took. And beyond your own happiness, being remembered for having made a difference in someone else’s life, for bringing them joy as well.”
A Life of Making
Creativity flows through every aspect of Ruth's life. Step into Ruth's personal maker space, and you're surrounded by a wonderland of 3D printers, sewing machines, felting tools, and more. In the kitchen, this passion for handcrafting extends to grinding her own wheat for bread and even roasting her own coffee beans. Ruth's delight in the act of making is utterly contagious as she recalls making elaborate costumes and baking her own marshmallows from scratch.
“If I think you can make it, I’ll at least try making it. Even if I don’t think you can make it, I might still try making it sometimes.”
Just Do It
Ruth’s advice? "Do things" - embrace all the experiences that spark your passion. This is perhaps her most powerful piece of wisdom - a rallying cry to embrace our curiosities and interests wholeheartedly through action. This ethos of active engagement with her wide-ranging curiosities is the thread that runs through Ruth's diverse pursuits. In a world where it's so easy to consume other people's experiences passively through video, photos, and the Internet, Ruth offers a refreshing reminder to get out and live life for ourselves. Her journey provides powerful inspiration for all of us to get off the sidelines of our own lives and start whole-heartedly doing the things that light us up inside.
An Action-Packed New Year
It likely comes as no surprise that this year has already been wildly busy for Ruth. It's been a very tartan-ful few months. In addition to several dance competitions and performances, she placed second runner up in the 22-and-up group at the Carolinas Open Championship. The Scottish Cultural Organization of the Triangle, where she serves as president, hosted a sold-out Highland games locally.
For the first time, Ruth delivered a toast at the Burns Supper, lectured on the history of Scottish dance at University of North Carolina Wilmington’s adult education program, served as costumer and choreographer for a production of Brigadoon (also with some sold-out shows!), and tried playing golf.
And in between all of these activities, she made a prom dress for her daughter, a new competition kilt for her son and a new competition dress for herself; drove halfway across the country to see the eclipse; and made it to three conferences.
You can learn more about Ruth and her work, and connect with her, on LinkedIn, Twitter/X or GitHub.
Ruth Suehle's story is a poignant reminder that our passions and interests are gloriously multifaceted. We all contain a beautiful kaleidoscope of curiosities and talents, if only we give ourselves permission to pursue them. We can revel in the journey, try new things, and share our passions with others along the way.
What unique blend of interests makes you who you are? What zigzag paths are you being called to wander down and explore? We all have the power to craft lives that feel as richly textured and deeply fulfilling as Ruth's. So let's embrace our own "kaleidoscope of passions" and share our stories! Together, we can inspire each other to live with the same authenticity, courage, and open-hearted zest that Ruth embodies every day.
