November 2, 2024. IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME

I'm a huge fan of time travel and often wonder where I would go or whom I would see if the opportunity ever presented itself. It might be fun to go back to the Roaring Twenties or witness some great event in history. BUT the question of whom I would want to see is what interests me the most. If I only had 15 minutes to go back in time---who would I want to see?  I'd love to visit with my grandparents ONE MORE TIME. Just to hear their voices would be such a treat. But--I think at this point in my life-I would probably have to choose my father. He was a simple man--a man of few words. Although he was a kind person--he was a weak father who didn't stand his ground or stick up for his first children the way I would have with my own kids.  I understand that divorce is hard, especially, divorce in the 1968. My mother quickly remarried and we relocated to Georgia for five years. Although we saw our dad when we came back--he was remarried and had a new family. I know he loved us, but he didn't push hard enough to make sure we stayed in his life. I often wonder how he felt about this on his deathbed, I wonder if we were his last regrets in life. So, I'd like to go back--spend 15 minutes with him--apologize for my behavior at times and forgive him, even if it still hurts. Time travel is on my mind because I just finished this little gem called Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot. There is this tiny coffee shop called Funiculi Funicula on a back alley in Tokyo that has been open for over a hundred years. Rumor has it that in addition to great coffee--people can sit in a special chair and travel back in time. Over the course of one summer, Kazu, the barista, meets four people looking to go back in time for various reasons. Before the customers can complete time travel, they have to agree to many rules, one being that they must return before the coffee gets cold. Find out why Fumiko, Kohtake, Hirai and Kei want to go back in time and if they return before the coffee gets cold in this heartwarming, mysterious, lovely tale. It is an International Bestseller, that was originally a play and is now a television show. There are also a few sequels to the original that I look forward to reading too. Enjoy.