“No good deed
goes unpunished.” 
Brendan Gill

It was a beautiful day — Sunday, May 19, 2024, the second day of the annual Downtown Campbell Boogie Festival. Spirits were high. Attendance was excellent. The performers, for the most part, were quite good. The smells emanating from the various vendor booths serving everything from grilled kabobs and sausage links to kettle corn and lumpia permeated the midday air. This was my first year volunteering at the event.

I had been invited to sell tickets to those who wanted to purchase beer or wine. After checking each person’s identification to verify they were 21 years of age or older, I would sell as many tickets, wine glasses, and beer mugs as customers wanted. The people were friendly. During the five hours I worked, we didn’t encounter one difficult person. I got to know some of the other volunteers in the booth, as well. It was a delightful day.

When I returned to my car, which I’d parked in the Second Street Parking Garage, I noticed that someone had clipped the back corner of my vehicle. The damage was substantial. I checked to see if a note had been left on my windshield. No such luck. The car was drivable, but the damage to the car was significant and needed to be addressed.

I received an estimate from a local body shop which had been recommended by the guys at Stevens Creek Honda. I filed a claim with my insurance company. The claim was approved and now it’s just a matter of time before I get the car into the shop for the actual repairs to be made. The deductible on my insurance is $1,000.

I’ve parked in the Second Street Garage in downtown Campbell countless times. Never before had I experienced any difficulties there. Sadly, this Sunday morning volunteer stint will cost me $1,000 out of pocket. It’s true. Life isn’t always fair.

I still look back on that day as a pleasant one. The event was a tremendous success. The multi-generational, multi-ethnic attendees seemed to enjoy everything the festival had to offer them. Residents of the City of Campbell had every reason to be proud of their community for offering such an enjoyable experience for the larger Silicon Valley population. Those visiting Campbell that day had every reason to be grateful for the work of so many vendors, organizers, and volunteers who made the event such a memorable one. 

It would be easy for me to stay focused on the damage to my car and be resentful of the injustice of the responsible party leaving the scene without putting a note on my car, but situations such as this invite me to recall the wise words of the Dalai Lama who said, “Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.”