The stork is a representation of the Personal Imaginers.  The stork’s esteemed reputation is backed by reliable, documented evidence from at least 3,000 years of recorded history.  A number of civilizations and societies took special notice of storks and sought to protect them from harm.  Laws were passed protecting life and limb of these beloved birds.  Even Aristotle, as early as 300 B.C., wrote that the stork was revered in his day for its unique characteristics.  The Romans, too, were enamored with the stork’s attributes.  The Lex Ciconaria, or “Stork’s Law,” was established mandating that children provide for their parents when the latter became elderly and in need.  The Romans, observing how the stork had cared for members of its family, both young and old, legislated their approval for the compassion, sensitivity, and love demonstrated by the bird for its own.

The stork occupies a special place in the Bible, as well.  In the sacred text of the Hebrews, the stork is described as the “pious one.”  The Hebrew word, hasidhah, is the word for stork.  The root word is the noun hesed, which means “lovingkindness, loyal love.”  Hesed is used some 250 times in the Old Testament, particularly in the Psalms, to illustrate the many ways God demonstrates His infinite love for mankind and to depict mans’ kindness to his fellow man.  The comparison of the stork’s love for its family with God’s love for mankind speaks supremely well for the stork.  During biblical times, the stork was considered the most loving of all birds, a fact the Bible plainly recognizes.

Our word, “stork” is actually taken from the ancient Greek storgé, which literally means, “an innate, natural affection.”  This could be best understood by contemplating a mother’s unconditional love for her child.  The definition, however, is broader in meaning.  It connotes an affection capable of being directed to anyone.  C.S. Lewis in The Four Loves states, “It is indeed the least discriminating of loves.”  It isn’t predicated upon looks, intelligence, blood relationship, or age.  The illiterate, grotesque, and the homely can all be recipients of storgé (affection) love.

Thus, whether we base our meaning of the word “stork” from the Hebrew or Greek, or accept the legendary accounts concerning its character, we find that the stork is truly a caring, loving creature.  The Personal Imaginers share this characteristic.  In the wild, storks will shelter their young (and old) from the hot sun or imposing elements with their massive wings.  Storks will travel nearly 50 miles to find and bring back food to the nest—whatever it takes.  They’ll gulp up water from the swamps below their high nests, flying back to shower their babies or parents with cool water.  They’ve even been seen to stay and die in the nest with babies or elderly during a forest fire!

Now Storks don’t act so uprightly all the time, there can be the wayward ones, but most value integrity and encourage others to seek it likewise.  They believe the best about others and value relationships.  They’re devoted to friends, family, and their vocations.  They tend to be romantic, and visionary, and they’re often optimistic about future possibilities.

Storks can also be acrobats and actors with their flying antics; these huge birds can be amazingly agile in the air—so, too, can the Brain Types of this group be acrobatic and actors.  Needless to say, there are many parallels with the amazing stork.

Vocationally, Personal Imaginers often pursue journalism, ministry, motivational speaking, education, health care, and other jobs accentuating their speech and language interests, and their affection for people.  Similar to Doves, Storks are service oriented, but liking to pursue long-term goals as conceptual people, they tend to last longer in academic pursuits than the live-for-today Doves.