Rudolf Steiner and the Art of Motorcycle Maintanance

Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner (Donji Kraljevec, 25 February 1861 [1] - Dornach, 30 March 1925) was an Austrian esoteric, writer, architect, philosopher and had a unique view of pedagogy. He has become known as the founder of anthroposophy and its practical applications, such as the Freie Waldorfschule, anthroposophical healing, healing pedagogy, social threefold art and biodynamic agriculture. He also offered help and advice with the establishment of the Christian Community. I think he was a little scary.

His ideas are propagated in Free Schools

Steiner's pedagogy aims to develop the intellectual, artistic and practical skills of students in an integrated and holistic way. The development of the students' imagination and creativity is central. And that is a system where a standard school principal once said: "You should not want to put that on your child." It seems rather vague to me. But I am also a cynical old man.

I am originally a mechanical engineer and spiritual thinking is not entirely my thing

But of course as man 1.0 I also have my soft side. I use it to sit on. Superficial fieldwork has shown me that followers of that system think reasonable alternatives, are often vegetarian and that they apparently have a mild preference for older Volvo cars. I understand the latter again.

More about practice, tinkering and technology. 

I know more people than I have euros

And so I came in contact with a worried parents from a free school student. And that little boy was averse to imagination and creativity. Due to an evolutionary setback, he was almost obsessively working on old technology. He was crazy about old engines. His parents were genuinely concerned about that. And wanted to talk to someone who had at least XNUMX years with the same approach. They didn't know people like that from their own circle.

It seemed to me that as an older person you could be very happy when your child has a different passion than his phone

It was a pleasant conversation based on goodwill and mutual incomprehension. It was agreed that the boy could come by sometime while I was tinkering. And so, a little while later, a 10-year-old with shiny eyes was delivered. Of course I had heard from his parents and assumed the child was gifted. That seems to rule in those circles. But apart from an almost annoying cleverness, there was little of that. He was able to report many useful things, but had never had the opportunity to test his passion in practice. In that practice he immediately reported that my garage was a mess and that of course it was never possible to work properly. “Well, then you clean up first. I'm going to have a cup of coffee. ” When I got back to the garage, the workbench was clean and the floor swept. The tools on the lift table were neatly arranged. The cub looked content and happy.

We started to focus on the engine that was on the lift table

He also experienced the chaos of Italian wiring as a nuisance. I gave him the container with AMP plugs, the AMP pliers and tie-wraps. “How would you do that? "

He went to work very systematically and fashioned the wiring in a way I had never bothered. Much to his liking, he was picked up by his mother. The mother was genuinely pleased with how happy her son was. "It's just as much fun as I thought," the little gifted man concluded quietly and satisfied.

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In the meantime, an old Puch Maxi plus some unnecessary tools from my supplies is in the shed in Zutphen - where Free School apparently reigns supreme. There will soon be a lecture or whatever about it at a Waldorf School. The child's parents are no longer concerned. They have seen that motorcyclists and technology are not as reprehensible as they thought. And junior has already reported that he wants a Kreidler when the Puch Maxi is ready and that a Benelli four-cylinder should come after that. I'm sure it will be fine with that young.