Ribbon Cuttings, Giant Scissors, and the Eternal Quest to Celebrate a Building Existing
I attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the new MUSC Health Bluffton Medical Pavilion, and as I stood there watching a group of adults gather around an oversized ribbon with scissors large enough to harvest wheat in the 1800s, I found myself reflecting on one of humanity’s most fascinating traditions: We love celebrating the completion of things we probably should have built years ago. Now don't get me wrong. A new medical facility is objectively good news. People need healthcare. Communities grow. Infrastructure matters. Doctors require buildings in which to perform doctor-related activities. Nobody wants their annual physical conducted under a picnic shelter beside a food truck. Still, ribbon cuttings occupy a unique place in modern civilization. They're part celebration. Part public relations. Part town festival. And part theatrical production whose central plot revolves around successfully cutting fabric. So naturally, I was intrigued. The Gathering...
