Stepping stones

There's a road bridge over the East Dart, though there's no such luxury if you're crossing the West Dart at Dartmeet, here there are stepping stones. Stepping stones which today were barely above the water in places, although if you didn't hesitate too much, moved with focus and determination, it wasn't too sketchy. Not to hesitate too much is the key. Safely across I sat on the far bank and tucked into my lunch. Two walkers approached the stones, from the start they hesitated, put off by the wet stones, after a while they'd made it to the middle, where their confidence faltered, they'd got 'the fear'. I helped by ensuring them that my camera was at the ready to capture any calamity, well, it's good to help.  The walkers were two sisters, after a while one made it across whilst the other had completely lost her confidence, it's easy to do, and when you do it takes focus to get it back. The three of us chatted for a while, when the landed sister asked if I'd mind giving the other sister a hand, 'of course not' I said, 'I'd been unsure whether to ask or not'. Both were clearly experienced walkers and I didn't what to appear condescending or something. Once over the stone which had become the mental barrier, the walker was cool, and after more chatting we were off on our walks again. It's a funny world, I thought how the walkers situation in the river weirdly reflected mine on the bank. The walker had lost her confidence to cross and I'd lost my confidence to help, not being sure of whether it was right to offer. Then I thought how that was reflective of society as a whole, so desperate not to do/say something wrong, that we hesitate, and end up doing nothing. Then I thought, 'I think too much', and tuned back into the moor.