They were just kids!

During the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta I worked at California Pizza Kitchen in Lenox Square Mall. If you have ever been to this CPK you know that it is an open air restaurant and is only separated from mall patrons by a knee wall with shrubbery. I saw and waited on many celebrities while working there and for the most part all nice. During the '96 Olympics Bruce Willis came in to eat with Demi (wife at the time), one of his daughters (I believe it was Rumor) and a couple people I am guessing were bodyguards. I was bummed at first because they weren't sat in my section, but was relieved soon enough. Two little boys around the age of 10 were walking through the mall on the side where the Willis entourage were seated and noticed Bruce Willis. They did not try and approach him and didn't even come near the wall. They had to have been 10 feet away and just kind of stopped when they saw him and pointed with big grins on their faces. You could tell they were excited. All of the sudden Bruce Willis stands up and, although I do not recall his exact words, yelled at these two little boys I am assuming for interrupting them when they were having lunch. At the same moment that Bruce Willis crushed these kids, I lost all respect for him. Every time I see a picture of Bruce Willis or hear or read his name I think about that day and wonder about this two boys. They hurried off directly after. I am sure they felt hurt and probably a little embarrassed and I wonder what they think when they see a picture of him or hear or read his name. I asked the person that waited on them what Demi was like and they said very nice. She acted like a normal person. She wasn't demanding or rude. It's funny, prior to that I always perceived Demi Moore as being a complete bitch and Bruce Willis as being really nice....boy did I have that backwards! Now I understand that it has to be rather annoying to be a celebrity and not be able to just go to lunch with your family without being approached, stared at or having your picture taken. I would have no desire to be a celebrity for that reason. If you chose to put yourself in that category though, you need to learn to deal with those situations better. I am sure there was a time when Willis was a struggling actor and would be out in public unnoticed and would pray for the day that he would make it and be recognized. I am not one that gets overly excited if I meet someone famous anyway, but you can bet if I was ever came in contact with Bruce Willis I would not even acknowledge his presence.