making friends

The other day I was exploring the neighborhood and this man standing outside a little shop stopped me, asked me where I was from and I ended up talking to him for probably about an hour, if not more. His English was ok, but he was really eager to practice it -- and it was insightful to talk to a regular old Joe like that (actually he was a Lee).

Throughout the conversation he regularly apologized for not being able to speak English better and was very regretful that he had not continued to study and practice it after he graduated from college, as he said that speaking English well is one of the great tickets to success here. It made me sad to realize that he sees his mediocre English as a reflection on his entire life, as the probable reason he owns a shop on the corner rather than having succeeded in becoming a CEO of a big company, which he said is his dream.

Furthermore, it made me wonder about the fact that I myself did nothing to learn this language; I just happened to be born in an English-speaking country, and suddenly something seemed unfair about our situation, because without any effort at all I have acquired the language that for so many will be the difference between success and mediocrity. Do I appreciate it, do I utilize it to its utmost potential, do I value what I have as much as those do who don't have it. Maybe I don't know how to explain it, but I wanted to be able to tell the man that he should not place so much value on knowing the English language, that his own language contains as many riches and promises, but I am not sure that he would have believed me.