What Are You Pedaling?

How do I feel about that Peloton commercial?
I can say that my initial reaction was not rage or a cry for justice. I figured I was getting a thirty second glimpse into a life that was already damaged before I came to it. If you are unfamiliar with this piece of drama, let me see if I can encapsulate for you: A young woman is led downstairs by her daughter on Christmas morning to find she has been giving the gift of a stationary bike. Not just any stationary bike, but one that connects her with a large and supportive online community of fellow riders. As this bright young lady tells us in her selfie narration, she never thought she would be able to stick with this program, whether it be late at night or early in the morning. We end with her sitting on the couch, next to her husband, watching a compilation of the video montage she has pieced together. She looks adoringly at him and says, "A year ago, I didn't realize how much this would change me."
So in the back of my mind, the quickest reference I could access was the Stepford Wives. Obviously this stationary bike has given this woman a focus for her life. She rushes home from her job or her charity bazaar to hop aboard and ride with the rest of her network-assisted posse. There is a shot of her pedaling madly alongside her daughter, who has her own junior version of mommy's bike. Milestone after milestone pass by as she sits astride her motionless steed. She feels as if she has gone somewhere, but there she is, still sitting in that room, staring out into the abyss. Going nowhere.
Yes, I know that I could be celebrating this woman's accomplishment and her commitment to her fitness. And the fact that her husband gave her a three thousand dollar piece of exercise equipment. I could imagine that this woman is living life to its fullest outside of the hours she is spending on that stationary bike. I am reminded of the quote from Coach Bob from John Irving's Hotel New Hampshire: "Get obsessed and stay obsessed."
Maybe there's a back story we aren't privy to. Perhaps she is a recovering addict and her first few weeks at home since being released from the rehab center have been difficult. Her husband has figured out how to supplant her chemical addictions for this physical challenge. In this light, I am suddenly warmed to the idea. I can cast off this notion that dad wants to cage his pretty young wife and keep her attached to the exercycle while he busies himself with his own adventures. There is no sign of her frowning at a bathroom scale, wishing that she could be just three pounds lighter. There is no goal of competing in a real bike race at the end. Only endless spins on a virtual landscape. How is she changed? Is there something else we need to know? It's a thirty second ad. There is still so much to know, but do I really want to?
A few weeks ago, I didn't realize how much this ad would change me.