Sorry for everything - Karine Polwart, Tony Blair and dying.

A somewhat chilling song, perhaps, because we're so used to "sorry" mending things. No need to print the words, she sings so beautifully clearly. And maybe she has a point. People sometimes seem to expect that "sorry" covers it; in semi-theological terms, they expect forgiveness before repentance, or instead of it.

We were all enraged when the feral over-class were so poor at saying sorry for making us poorer. The present government blames the whole mess on the previous government, but I don't remember Tories leaping to rein in the boom and restrict mad mortgages and easy credit. And Mr Blair still seems to find it impossible to admit that the invasion of Iraq did not make this country safer, and he was, er, mistaken (so polite this a.m. Gloria?), and so he's - sorry. Haven't heard him do "sorry."

However, when someone is dying, or even after they've died - that's a time to say sorry and offer forgiveness for any hurt, shortcomings and omissions. Maybe we should try to develop ways of ritualising this process, so as not to leave it to chance? It's an enormously healing thing to do. And a question for you - does a sorry/forgiveness ritualisation happen in other cultures, or any belief systems?

Oh, and sorry if you don't care for Karine Polwart. Well, not too sorry - you might want to try harder, she's the business! (IMAO)