The Post Office Motto

The United States Post Office has no official creed or motto.  However, inscribed in marble on the front of the main New York City branch are the words: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” That’s where Roger and Otto (or I should say Ken and Ray, originally) picked up their motto for the trip, found on page 3: “Neither rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night is going to prevent these two thumbs from acing this trip!” We actually referred to that statement several times during the course of our travels, reminding one another that we had to stay tough; that “team” had to be kept ahead of individual; that we needed to stay united if we wanted to finish the trip. Starting out as a unit was no problem; we were tight as sardines. As nerves started to fray several weeks in, that ideal got pushed to the limit. Roger accuses Otto of being selfish and looking out for only himself. But of course Roger acts that way, too. Roger seems to forfeit his personal safety during the Duffy fiasco for sake of “team,” and is slighted and disillusioned when Otto doesn’t do the same in Southern California when he has a flirtation with Kelly Cooper and wants to take a side trip to Whittier. By the time we hit the words “we picked up” on 297, all is patched up.