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Bicentennial Baby
Plus: Flannery, Jimmy, and Train Watching with Larry
Yasmine S. Ali, MD
July 02, 2026
“Find the good and praise it.”
Hello again! I hope your summer is going well so far!
As we approach America’s semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, I thought it would be a great time to revisit an episode of the Positive Vibes podcast, “Escorting the Declaration of Independence,” in which I interview archivist, actor, and author Brian Wilson—who also happens to be my brother-in-law! AND he is a descendant of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Stockton!
In this episode, Brian tells the remarkable story of finding Georgia’s copy of the Declaration of Independence, escorting the venerated document on Georgia Day, and much more. Have a listen on any podcast platform:
And if you want to hear my rendition of “America the Beautiful,” check out this short video:
Thank you again for being part of the Positive Vibes community! Have a happy and safe 4th of July!
Cheers,
Yasmine
What I’m Feeling Good About
So, I always share something a little personal in this section, but this is especially personal, because I’m about to tell you my age, if you care to do the math (and the vocabulary): I was a Bicentennial Baby, born in the year of America’s Bicentennial. This year marked my own semicentennial, as seen here in—you guessed it—Savannah, GA:
I hope to make it to America’s Tricentennial!!!
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What You’re Feeling Good About
I often find myself thanking Zach Clayton (whom you’ll know both from Positive Vibes and from my first book, Walk through Fire), and this is no exception: after last month’s issue with pics from my trip to Savannah—including this one featuring a portrait of Flannery O’Connor in the Wexford Pub there:
—Zach reminded me that Flannery was one of Jimmy Buffett’s favorite authors, a fact he mentioned in “Songs You Don’t Know by Heart,” the playlist he made with his daughter, Delaney, during the pandemic—in particular, this one on “Love in the Library”:
(He misstates that Flannery O’Connor was from Mississippi; she was from Savannah, GA and died in Milledgeville, GA at the age of 39 from complications of lupus [I have seen her home in both places] . . . but of course we’ll forgive him that, as we forgive him anything and everything, because hey, it’s Jimmy Buffett. You can read Zach’s own tribute to him here.)
I also want to thank the inimitable Larry Zetterlind for sharing pics from his most recent train-watching trip in Bryan, OH, with his friend Steve:
 Steve and Larry |  |
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(This section is where I’ll be featuring good news, tips, and bits of wisdom from readers—so please reply to this email and share some with me! It can be anything, big or small. Whatever you’re feeling good about.)
From the Podcast
In addition to the episode with Brian Wilson, you may also enjoy this wonderful conversation I had with the award-winning fantasy author and giraffe advocate (yes, you read that right), Barbara Evers, in this recent episode of the podcast:
To Your Health
Taking care of your health is one of the most positive things you can do, so here are a few tips I’ve vetted:
More Good News
A truly moving—and truly good—news story that hits particularly close to home for me as a Palestinian-American:
And another pretty amazing story—and a remarkable life:
Pawsitive Vibes
Thank you again to Larry Zetterlind! This is his dog, Bella, who takes her train watching seriously:
Got a pet or animal pic you’d like to share? Please feel free to reply to this email!
Riddle Me This
This one is actually a bit of US history trivia, rather than a riddle:
Who was the only US president to be born on the Fourth of July?
Answer at the bottom of this issue.
For Your Playlist
Hank. ‘Nuff said.
Listen to the entire Positive Vibes: Sunny Side playlist on Spotify.
Last Word
Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.
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Answer to the riddle: Calvin Coolidge, our 30th president, elected in 1923 and served until 1929.
