Meet Walk Talk’s Youngest Fan: Her Name is Meylin Arreola and She’s Also Best Friends with A Brooklyn based Actress who has Learning Disabilities
There are times in a writer’s life when a topic for an article suddenly changes. This happens for a variety of reasons but sometimes it occurs due to sheer chance. For instance, I arrived at the Jacob Javits Center with the sole purpose of interviewing Autumn Blevins. I’m sure you’ve heard of her. She’s the twelve year old actress that received her own show due to being bullied for having learning disabilties (where her tormentor read her IEP in front of her peers). And, yes, I still interviewed her but that wasn’t the only conversation I engaged in.
Once I arrived at the convention, and squeezed past the crowd of people, I spotted Autumn at her table. She was signing and taking selfies for a long line of fans. Most of these fans were well into adulthood, however. From my vantage point, they seemed more interested in Autumn’s previous role in Zombie Graveyard than her recent work (the popular children’s television show on PBS). I crept closer to the festivities in preparation for the interview when I noticed a girl sitting next to Autumn.
“Are you an actress too?” I asked her after saying hello to Autumn.
“No. I’m just here because Autumn is my best friend and I love horror movies.”
At this point, I’m thinking about the incident at her school. Perhaps the most pivotal moment in the young actor’s life. It wouldn’t hurt to get another perspective on that event. That’s journalism, after all.
“Were you there when the bullying happened?”
“Yeah. She was jealous because Autumn got extra time on a test because of her disability. And, she, you know, made her life miserable.”
“What’s your name if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Meylin Arreola. You write in Brooklyn, right?”
“Yes I do, as a matter of fact.”
“Okay, um, do you know Walk Talk?”
That question actually took me off guard a little bit. In fact, I had watched the band perform at the Ponyboy a couple of years ago. But their music was mostly aimed at adults.
“I don’t know them but I’ve seen them live once.”
“You’re so lucky. I love them. They only perform in bars, or clubs, and I never get to see them. I’ve listened to all their songs and everything. My favorites are Motherload and Miss That Feel.”
“Did you know that Mayteana was an actress like Autumn when she was a kid, I mean? She was in, uh, New Jack City and Mellow Shoes. And I found a bootleg copy of Mellow Shoes. Well, Autumn got it for me but, yeah, they’re awesome.” Meylin continued.
“Well, you certainly know a lot about them.”
“They’re so good at, you know, mixing genres and stuff. And they’re music is so soothing and powerful at the same time. It’s hard to describe.”
“How old are you?”
“Twelve but I’ll be thirteen in October.”
“That’s only a couple of months away.”
“I’m a month older than her.” Autumn interjected while signing a fan’s poster.
“And we’re all very impressed.” Meylin said while laughing.
This was good but I needed something more from her. Something that will tie the themes of my article together. So, I decided to dig deeper with my final question (before moving on to the person I was actually here to see).
“Is there anything about their music you find particularly inspiring? That has relevance in your own life and the person you want to be?”
Meylin paused for a moment and looked around the crowded convention floor. It was obvious she was giving my question a lot of thought.
“They just have a message of inclusivity and love. And part of that is, you know, doing the right thing. You should know that the person who bullied Autumn got away with it because people didn’t care. Well, I wasn’t going to just stand around and watch. So, I did something. Walk Talk taught me that.”
With that, Meylin’s interview ended and I felt an immense sense of pride. Not only because Meylin helped her friend but the way in which music can inspire people. It’s a simple message but one that is visible everyday.
This interview was conducted last year and before the pandemic.
