oh, the potential

I secretly lament my own untapped potential. I have often thought, "If I'd just had more time, I could have done that better." Or " If I had all the money to put into that, I could have really created something amazing with that project." I feel that I want to explain myself when I give a gift or a meal, "This isn't how I envisioned it, if you could see the real me...
... but then I think about my neighbor Alfredo Cruz, and people like him. My neighbor is from Mexico and owned a ranch down there before coming up here (why would he leave that?). He worked on concrete until things slowed down and now I hear he works in a restaurant to make ends meet.
I often drive by men standing out on the street corner waiting for work of any kind. With out the hour long debate of who deserves what, politics, and immigration, I think of these men who just want to work and the lost potential of all those man hours. How would it feel to be able and willing and come home at the end of the day with nothing to show from your life. A good job gives that feeling of purpose and success in life- no doubt about it. I wonder if one of these people could discover cancer if they'd been given the change to even dream about college. What potential do some people live with and never achieve. Will we arrive in the next life with a a basket full of would've, should've, could'ves? (I love the Olympics because of the stories of potential achieved!)
I came across this quote from President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Thomas S.Monson and loved it.
"In the private sanctuary of one's own conscience lies that spirit, that determination to cast off the old person and to measure up to the stature of true potential."
I try to look at people and imagine their potential. I saw a women trying to shift decaying fence boards to repair her fence and wondered what she would be like if she were the Queen of England. Imagine the Queen in 'her go-to-corination crown' fixing a fence!
As for Alfredo, when our 'chicken' turned out to be a rooster and had to be 'disposed of', he came and did the deed and then showed me how to de-feather it. He was so remorseful when his dog bit my son, and is a very watchful parent of his own children. If his potential is nothing more than to be a great neighbor,father, husband, then I'm happy for him.
As for me, I'm not done yet.