I know an 87yo man who did not learn to read until his 40's. He is off the charts intelligent, a very accomplished business man and a widely recognized/awarded

I know an 87yo man who did not learn to read until his 40's. He is off the charts intelligent, a very accomplished business man and a widely recognized/awarded artisan. Times were different in his adolescence, and he has done plenty of reading in his latter life(classics, technical) but he professes his depth of success would not have been possible if he were distracted by "fairy tales" & the daily assault on our senses of modern(pre-digital) media & marketing. As a result, I sometimes question my thousands of hours reading fiction as a kid instead of honing my historical knowledge or technical skills. Ultimately however, I do not regret the multitude of stories I have experienced & cherish the imaginitive depths I experience in my mind's eye, I won't ever be the "best of the best of the best" of anything, but I will be good and I will be the best I can be while I enjoy life's distractions. He respects that attitude & has expressed his envy, too. The grass really is greener on every other side, I guess. edit: added last two sentences, needed a point to the post. I am flighty, but I digress...