Today is National Sorry Day in Australia. The day acknowledges the mistreatment of the Aboriginal people in the country's history, and specifically the horrific abuses committed in forcibly removing Aboriginal children from their families from 1860–1970. Before I traveled to Australia last summer, I knew little of the country's dark history, and so was disturbed by the racism, the lack of genuine respect for the Aboriginal culture, and the hocking of same culture for tourism dollars. I plan to read this book of essays on the painful history of Australia's race relations by anthropologist W E H Stanner. Stanner coined the phrase "The great Australian silence," an apt description of the European-Australian attitude toward the near-genocide of a complex indigenous people.

The first step in healing is the acknowledgment of truth and the delivery of an apology. We could all adopt National Sorry Day, and take today to deliver due apologies. I'll start by seeking out Sandra Meere, a girl I went to elementary school with. I wrote a song about her (to the tune of a popular UK show at the time, Supergran) and sold it for sixpence to each of my classmates. It was a really good song––I still remember the words––but what I thought was funny was actually very mean, and I'm ashamed and sorry. I need a whole box of these "Sorry for being such an ass" cards.

I want to apologize in advance for appearing to trivialize the Swine Flu pandemic by wanting this shirt, but c'mon, this is a really cute and funny shirt. My Irish upbringing trained me to poke fun at things I'm scared of, so instead of feeling angry at me, you should feel sorry for me. Your apology is accepted. Great gift for those who imagined flu symptoms when the virus was first reported.