The Invisible Woman
On Being Single, Childfree, and Overlooked
“Do you have any kids?” The question ambushed me in Peloton Studios' lobby at 8:30 AM. Before the morning could settle, I was already explaining my childfree existence to a stranger who had, moments before, unloaded her life story onto me. This wasn't the connection I had imagined.
As a Peloton member since COVID, I created my own home gym with weights and the Peloton Bike and Tread. Over the years, I’ve built friendships online, convinced countless friends to buy bikes, and met wonderful people both in studio and on the leaderboard. There’s beauty in forging relationships online over a shared interest, but there’s also the reality that these instructors and fellow members don’t truly know you.
When I went to the studio last Monday, I didn’t expect to make a new best friend or transcend that parasocial reality, but I also didn’t expect to leave feeling so unseen—not by the instructor, but by the people surrounding me.