I worked 25 years at Mayo Clinic in computers. When I started there were only a few computers, punched cards etc. The IT department grew from a few to many 100s and at my 20 year anniversary, I was asked to write a summary of the 20 years at Mayo.
Being never satisfied to do anything in a standard way, I chose to write it as a "poem." It so befuddled the newsletter editors, they mulled it over for a time, talked to the IT department heads who ended up not only not printing it, but completely revamping the newsletter and never again asking an individual to blow his own horn!
He Scores the First Time
by Russ Hanson written after 20 years at Mayo - 2000
1980-85 IS
IBM lights twinkling
Paper tape crinkling
Punch cards wrinkling
Selectball inking
Great times drinking
Hot boards stinking
Girls still winking
Sort still syncing
Boss no inkling
Need more thinking
1985-97 GI
Research
PDP disks whining
VAX data mining
PCs headlining
Program designing
Publication signing
Sun is shining
1995 begins declining
FORTRAN confining
Funding unassigning
Department streamlining
IS skills pining
Time for resigning
1997-1999 Clinical
Apps
Sybase learning
Uniface interning
Big bucks earning
New skills returning
Y2K governing
Teams never adjourning
VAX support spurning
Too much nocturning
End the sojourning
1999- Research
Services
Uniface supporting
Cold Fusion exporting
Mental cavorting
Administrators sporting
Senility still thwarting
Retirement not affording
Poetry not transporting
