Uncertainty

Sesquières, august 2019.

Lead sunshine and excessive temperature, the heat wave is well settled. When I get to the waterhole, I only want one thing: to take a swim! Although stunned by the heat and the blurring of vision, I reread and scrutinize more carefully. No doubt about the meaning of the inscription, in red capitals. Another certainty: flanked by numerous rust spots, the piece of metal has been fixed to this tree for quite some time. A hesitation then emerges. The prohibition may have been suspended since the water body was transformed into a real water sports and recreation area. Water practices are going well, as shown by the list of activities and the various flags that criss-cross the area: paddle, towed buoys, inflatable structures of all kinds, and even a ski lift for wakeboarding and water skiing. Most of the banks have been converted into beaches that accommodate many people lying in swimsuits. Everything seems to fuel my intuition: an obsolete inscription on a rusty plaque! However, no one is really in the water, and the definition of swimming remains uncertain. Are simply swimming or even splashing around considered a sport or leisure activity? Since the prohibition stipulated by the inscription does not recall any article of law and does not specify any fixed fine, what is the penalty regime? And with the heat wave, isn’t the tolerance a little softer? As these questions arose in front of the situation, I literally started to burn. And the desire is only stronger, much stronger than the consequences that would go with the need to refresh myself. As is often the case when faced with doubt, there is only one solution: take action!