It happened in Bakersfield, CA in January 1973 and is something that I’ve never forgotten. To this day I wonder what would have happened if I had found a way to go to Long Beach and track down Randy Gardner as he had requested. But I could never get an acceptable babysitter for my then-four-year-old, and we lost touch.

I can still feel his kiss on my forehead. Losing Randy is one of the biggest regrets of my life.