I thought you were broken. I thought I could save you with numbers, scoops, and a confident hand. But you were not the one in need of saving.
Pool shocking was supposed to be the cure. Instead, it was the mirror I did not want to face.
Entry One: The Overdose of Good Intentions
The water was dull that morning, but I was full of pride. I poured the shock in without measuring. I wanted results, fast. You, my pool, took the hit. Your smell burned. My eyes stung. My ego deflated.
Pool shocking without respect is like shouting over someone instead of listening. I learned that too late.
Entry Two: The Filter That Knew My Sins
The filter groaned for days, clogged with the debris of my impatience. I backwashed halfheartedly, thinking the chlorine would do all the work for me. But the truth? A lazy filter makes the best chemicals worthless.
Pool shocking cannot save stagnant water. Circulation is the bloodline, and I had let yours slow to a crawl.
Entry Three: Reading the Language of Test Strips
I began to read. Not just the instructions, but the whispers of pH, alkalinity, and chlorine levels. Each test strip felt like a letter from you, my pool, begging me for balance.
Pool shocking works only when the pH is steady, the filter is clean, and the water is ready to receive it.
Entry Four: Forgiveness in Ratios
This time, I measured. I brushed. I ran the pump for hours. I waited. Slowly, the cloudiness faded. Not all at once, but like the slow thaw of winter into spring.
It was not just pool shocking. It was trust, patience, and the kind of devotion you give to something that gives back.
Entry Five: The Lesson I Didn’t Expect
I started this to fix you. Instead, you taught me about consistency, humility, and how shortcuts leave stains you cannot scrub away.
Pool shocking is a partnership. It is not about force, but timing. Not about dumping and walking away, but about staying to see the change through.
What the Water Taught Me:
- Test before you treat.
- Keep the filter clean.
- Run the pump long enough to help the chemicals work.
- Brush often so nothing hides from the chlorine.
- Patience is as important as precision.
You are balanced now, my pool. And so am I.
