Jordan Mahallati spends his days making sure that all the volunteer services for the Maidu Library and Museum operate flawlessly. “I spend a lot of time recruiting volunteers, interviewing volunteers, bringing them on, and training them,” Jordan tells us.
Each hour is spent selecting which library issues need to be addressed. But a much greater balancing act comes into play when he finally heads home, relaxes, and jumps up on his slackline. There he’s able to let the worries of the day pass him by.
“It’s a really good way to stay in the moment. If you think about anything other than that next step or your breathing, or that deliberate step forward, you are going to fall off the line. You have to be in the moment.” Jordan says.
Slacklining is the sport where you balance on a single nylon band, stretched between two trees. Jordon tells us that the effort helps to promote a healthy work-life balance. It promotes focus and core strength, much like yoga.
Jordan has a 50-foot line that he stretches between trees in the park where he exercises. It’s a great hobby to take on the road. He’s visited Yosemite Valley National Park and stayed at a famous campsite where rock climbers camp. There they have what Jordan describes as a “slackline aerobics course.” Slackliners can traverse their lines, nestled deep in the valley between El Capitan and Half Dome.
Mr. Mahallati has been working fulltime as a Library Technician since 2015 but started part-time with the City in 2004 when he worked as a lifeguard. He participates on several City committees and is always looking for new ways to help his coworkers.
When his skills began to develop, Jordan started posting his slacklining pictures online. It was then he discovered much about his past.
When Jordan’s mother saw the pictures, she stated that she was reminded of her father. It turns out that as a young man, Jordan’s grandfather ran off to join the circus as a trapeze artist and worked with the animals. Jordan told us that “this kind of makes sense. This might be why I have slacklining in my blood!”
In case you’re wondering - no, his parents never took him to the circus.