Sharing the Love

On Saturday night Steve and I traveled to downtown Los Angeles and boarded a double-decker bus for a Neon Cruise sponsored by the Museum of Neon Art (MONA). This tour was particular poignant as it was the last one of host Eric Lynxwile.

I first became aware of Eric when he gave a presentation at the Kiwanis Club of Glendale so many years ago. His enthusiasm was contagious and when I learned that he was hosting his last Neon Cruise, I was quick to sign up … though I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect.

Well, the tour not only touched on the historic neon signs and permanent installations of contemporary neon art through downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood, but Eric also described the history of many of the locales that we passed.

His enthusiasm as tour director was as effusive as his love for MONA. He boasted that every neon sign we saw was made by hand – no machine can make a neon sign nor can a computer. He was equally excited by giant neon signs that are no longer lit as by those, like the sign, that light up the night sky.

His love of the city was obvious. In between pointing out significant neon signage (“On the right is your ubiquitous liquor sign with a gigantic neon boomerang”) he shared his love for a city that he’s embraced over the years.

It was more than 25 years ago when he was taking the neon tour that he realized the tour guide didn’t know a thing about Los Angeles.

Eric said, “I know more about LA than [the tour guide] does and I started giving the tour. I wound up surrounded by my friends telling people to ‘Look to the right.’ There’s a lot of great Los Angeles history all around you that tour guide wasn’t pointing out.” Three months later he started giving tours.

He said he gives this tour because he loves LA and wants to share that love with others – but through it all his love of neon is apparent.

“[The signs are] beautiful; we don’t want to lose them from the horizon of the city of LA.”

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I’m honored that Business Life Magazine has named me one of its Women Achievers 2024. Women Achievers are defined by the magazine as “individuals such as yourself, your business, profession, and organization [play] an important role in the economic and social health of the communities in which we live and work.”

A luncheon is being held on Friday, Oct. 11 at Noor in Pasadena to honor the women who earned this prestigious title. Tickets are available at https://www.itsmyseat.com/events/188767.html.