I am Canadian. If you know me well I am sure you are rolling your eyes. I know. I talk about Canada a lot. In all honesty, if I am meeting someone for the first time I might tell them I am Canadian before I even tell them my name. I love the great white north, from our superior chocolate bars to our free healthcare, Canada is pretty great.

We Canadian’s excel in hockey, we know how to make good hot chocolate, and even better beer, we provide the world with maple syrup, we have beautiful wildlife and natural resources, we have adorable accents (but far more variations than american’s realize), we have nicknames for pretty much everything, we can count Santa Clause, Ryan Gosling, and Ryan Reynolds among our citizens, we can spend most of our lives in sub zero temperatures, and most importantly we have a reputation for being kind, and courteous.

I am unapologetically Canadian.

That was probably an overly long introduction to this article. Yes, It might have been a tad excessive. How many times did I type Canadian? Canada? It was probably terribly repetitive. I’m not trying to say that America isn’t awesome. I really like living in the States! I don’t know where you are from, reader, but I am sure it’s really nice too. Sure, Canada has some problems too. I mean, we aren’t perfect either. Not that I’m trying to compare countries or anything! I just miss home I guess. If you are still reading this, thanks. I appreciate you sticking around. You get it. I’m Canadian. (Oh, there I go again! Shoot!) Anyway. I’m Sorry.

Perhaps it is better to say that I am as unapologetically Canadian as a Canadian can be. I don't apologize for being Canadian, I apologize because it's what Canadian's do.

“Sorry” gets thrown around quite a bit in my home and native land. You see, in Canada the word “sorry” mean’s more than just “I apologize.” It can be used when you accidentally bump into someone, “I’m sorry.” When someone tells you a sad story, “Oh no, I’m so sorry” When you need to squeeze by a group of people, “Pardon me, sorry.” When you didn’t hear what someone said to you, “Sorry. What was that you said?” Do you feel bothersome in anyway shape or form? Then as a Canadian, you are honour bound to use the word “sorry.” In this way the Canadian “sorry” is the same word, but with many more synonyms.

We might say “sorry” more times than necessary. I have said the words “I’m sorry for being sorry”, which even as a Canadian is a bit ridiculous. It could be argued that we apologize too much. However, I would argue that more people should view “sorries” within the Canadian context.

When I apologize for running into you, squeezing by you, not hearing you, or if I have disturbed you in any way…I really am sorry. I inconvenienced you, and I simply want you to know that I recognize this. However, my actions aren’t tearing me up inside. Whether it was a necessary disturbance or a minor mix-up I won’t dwell on it.

Then there are the times when one must admit that they really screwed up. Of course in these situations, you are genuinely apologetic for your actions. In these cases, The word “sorry” is obviously more impactful. The words “I’m sorry” are an admission of guilt. Canadian’s seem to understand that these little apologies don’t diminish our ability to feel genuinely guilty, or regretful, for our large-scale mistakes. There is not a finite number of apologies.

Additionally, Canadian’s don’t seem to view the words “I’m sorry” as a sign of weakness. Just because I am willing to apologize for wronging you doesn’t mean that I am willing to take responsibility for something out of my control. I want to be courteous, but I don’t want to be walked all over. Sometimes I’m right and you are wrong, sometimes it’s not my fault. Don’t count on me apologizing for something I hold close to my heart or in high regard. As I have said, I am proud.

Personally, I find that apologizing for something, no matter how small, allows you to be more aware of your surroundings. I am forced to take into account those around me, their needs, and my effect on them. I find that these small “sorries” are equivalent to holding open the door for the person walking behind you. To me “sorry” is courtesy. It is casual empathy. It is a filler word, a habit, and a nicety all rolled into one.

The simplest argument in defence of “sorry” may be that it’s inclusion in a sentence really doesn’t hurt anyone, while its exclusion can. Maybe When you say a word back to back in short succession it starts to sound strange. Try it. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. You probably sounded a little silly, someone may find the repetition of a single word over and over again a bit annoying, but these seem like the worst case scenarios.

I'm biased. I value my connections to my home country and I view “sorry” as one of them. Maybe nationality doesn’t have anything to do with it. I am simply drawing on my observations from within and outside of Canada. I am sure that there are other places all over the world with words and actions equivalent to the Canadian "sorry." I know that not everyone sees the point in "sorry", and choose to not put an onus on such a single, fleeting word. It’s fine if you disagree with me. All I can say is I’m sorry you feel that way. I’m going to stick with “sorry”; saying it too often, and always with an “O”.