Smokin Joe’s lessons for life

ByJohn D. Kelly IV, MD

Philadelphia recently lost its favorite son, “Smokin’ Joe” Frazier. Smoke, as he preferred to be called, was a true modern day warrior and possessed a left hook of mythic proportions. I had the profound privilege to be one of Mr. Frazier’s physicians, and helped ease the aches and pains which resulted from decades of absorbing punishing blows in the ring. As I became more familiar with Mr. Frazier, it was his character, more so than his legendary punching power or storied toughness that indelibly impressed me. The principles that Smoke taught me apply to everyone, especially orthopedists.

Treat everyone “first class”

Smoke saw no social standing or status. There was no white, black, Latino; there were only people. When Smoke visited the office, he treated everyone — the receptionist to the chief — with the same kindness and respect. This speaks volumes of the character of Mr. Frazier, especially when one considers he was raised in the deep south and subjected to years of prejudice. Undoubtedly it was the lack of opportunity for African Americans which prompted Mr. Frazier and his family to move to Philadelphia from South Carolina.

Fairness

The Frazier family fell victim to dishonest investors and unfair businessmen. On one occasion, Mr. Frazier was cheated out of several million dollars in an unfortunate business transaction. When legal action was sought in order for Mr. Frazier to recoup at least part of his losses, his refrain to his attorneys was simply, “I only want what is fair, no more, no less.” There was no vindictiveness or rancor. Smoke merely wanted what was rightfully his – not a penny more.

Right vs. wrong

One of Smoke’s favorite original sayings was, “There is no right way to do wrong, and there is no wrong way to do right.” Mr. Frazier distilled morality to its very essence: Merely do the right thing, and the rest will take care of itself. Mr. Frazier knew “wrong” was all too often guised as “Okay.” Smoke held that good always triumphs over evil and that wrong is wrong no matter what the spin may be. The intent of our actions holds to the key to their intrinsic moral worth.

As Philadelphia and the boxing world grieve the loss of this true champion, we would all do well to incorporate the “Frazier Principles” into our daily lives and practice.

Imagine treating every patient with the same dignity — regardless of class or social standing. Do we give the uninsured the same attention as the executive?

How about charging no more and no less than our services deserve? We can all fall into the temptation of stretching the limits of billing for services we “sort of did.”

What if we did the right thing every time on every patient? Did we fix the meniscus, place the extra screw on the plate or wash out the open fracture in timely fashion?

The “Frazier principles” will sow the seeds of a contented and peaceful life. Smoke was uniformly cheerful and upbeat. He was a man at peace with himself, others and his God.

We miss you champ. We can only hope to approach your example in our clinics and operating rooms.