THE
THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. SPEAKING OF TEXAS, SEVERAL
WEEKS AGO, WHILE MANY OF US
WERE IN THE SHELTER IN PLACE
MODE, I HAD A CHAT WITH THE
COUPLE THAT MANY OF YOU LIKELY
KNOW, JOANNA AND CHIP GAINES.
ONE DAY I HAD A RANDOM IDEA TO
DIRECT MESSAGE HIM TO ASK IF
THEY EVER HAD THE TIME, COULD
WE SHOOT THE BREEZE ON ZOOM.
NEVER DID I EVER THINK HE WOULD
ACTUALLY REPLY.
ACTUALLY REPLY. AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, HE DID.
IN MAY, WE HAD THAT CHAT ABOUT
LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. >>
LIFE. >> IS THIS ON?
CAN YOU HEAR US AND CS?:I DID
MY HAIR FOR YOU.
I HAVE NOT DONE MY HAIR AND A
LONG TIME.
LONG TIME. [ LAUGHTER ] IS
>> THANK YOU FOR DOING YOUR
HAIR AND JEFF, THANK YOU FOR
PUTTING A HAT ON.
>> HE WORE HIS CLEAN WHITE T-
SHIRTS.
SHIRTS.
SHIRTS. >> THIS CHAT WAS IN MAY, MAY
22, TO BE EXACT.
BACK THEN, JOANNA, CHIP, AND
THE KIDS WERE HUNKERED DOWN AT
HOME IN WACO, TEXAS.
THEY WERE FAR AWAY FOR MAKING
THE TELEVISION THEY HAD BEEN
KNOWN FOR.>> Reporter: WHAT
HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?>> WHAT
HAVE WE BEEN DOING?
IT HAS BEEN AN ODD COUPLE OF
MONTHS.
MONTHS.
MONTHS. THE REASON WE APPRECIATED THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A BREAK IS,
IT HAS GIVEN US AN OPPORTUNITY
TO REEVALUATE JUST ABOUT
EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.>> THIS
IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS, THE
PERSPECTIVE HAS SHIFTED.
IT HAS BEEN SO VALUABLE.
IT IS LIKE A RESET THAT WE GET
TO SAY, OKAY, THIS DID NOT
MATTER AS MUCH.
WHAT MANY OF US ARE FINDING IS,
WHAT MATTERS IS THE
RELATIONSHIPS, AND FAMILY.>>
Reporter: FAMILY AT THIS HOUSE
IS NOT A SMALL GATHERING.
THEY HAVE FIVE CHILDREN, A
FARM, AND ALL THAT COMES WITH
IT.
IT.
IT. IT
IT. IT WAS A LOT OF TOGETHER, A
WHOLE LOT OF IT.
>> WE JOKE THAT CHIP LOVES TO
CONNECT AND HAVE QUALITY TIME.
I LIKE MY OWN TIME, IN THE
CORNER.
CORNER.
CORNER. TO MAKE OUR LOVE TO SNUGGLE,
SHE DOES NOT LIKE TO BE TOUCHED.
>> Reporter: HOW DID YOU MEET?
SYSTEMIC I WORKED FOR MY FATHER
FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS.
HE OWNED A FIRESTONE STORE.
I HELPED HIM SELL TIRES.
I KNEW HOW TO ROTATE AND
BALANCE THE TIRES.
IS
IS
IS >>
IS >> LITTLE DID SHE KNOW, I WOULD
GET MY BRAKES DONE LIKE A TWO
TIMES PER MONTH, WHETHER THEY
NEEDED THEM OR NOT.
I WOULD JUST SIT IN THE LOBBY
LIKE HOPING AND PRAYING THAT
SHE WOULD ACCIDENTALLY WALK BY.
ONE DAY WE CROSS PATHS.
>> AND A FIVE MINUTES THAT I
MET YOU, YOU DON'T LIKE 20
BUSINESSES.
BUSINESSES. HE TALKED ABOUT FIREWORKS, YOU
NAME IT, HE HAS OWNED A
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. I WAS SO INTRIGUED BY IT.
THAT IS HOW STARTED.
THE NEXT DAY I HAD A NOTE ON MY
DESK THAT SAID CHIP GAINES
CALLED, CALLING BACK.
THAT IS IT.>> Reporter: IT WAS
A MARRIAGE OF 17 YEARS,
CHILDREN, AND A PLACE IN YOUR
HOME ON TELEVISION, WATCHING
THEM FIX UP MORE THAN A FEW
HOMES.
HOMES.
HOMES. THE LATTER WAS MUCH OF WHAT
THEY ARE KNOWN FOR, NOT AS CHIP
OR JOANNA, BUT AS CHIP AND
JOANNA.
JOANNA.
JOANNA. COVID-19 CINCH IT THEM BACK TO
BEING JUST PEOPLE.
ON THAT DAY THAT WE SPOKE, IT
FELT LIKE THREE PEOPLE, NO ONE
MORE OR LESS THAN THE OTHER,
TRYING TO FIND A FOOTING IN AN
UNCERTAIN WORLD.
UNCERTAIN WORLD. >> YOU THINK ON THE OTHER SIDE
OF THIS, THE WORLD MIGHT BE
MORE KIND AND FORGIVING?
>> I APPRECIATE THAT.
WE WILL NOT ALLOW IT TO BE ANY
OTHER WAY.
OTHER WAY. WE WILL DO EVERYTHING IN OUR
POWER FOR THE NEW NORMAL TO BE
A KINDER, MORE HUMANE VERSION.
IS
IS
IS >>
IS >> WE
IS >> WE HAVE SO MUCH TO LEARN
FROM OTHER PEOPLE.
I THINK WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THE
VALUE OF EVERYONE'S STORY, IT
IS UNIQUE AND POWERFUL, THE
MORE YOU ENGAGE WITH THEM, THE
MORE YOU LEARN, THE RICHER YOU
ARE AS A HUMAN BEING.>> BOTTOM
LINE, I HOPE WE COME OUT OF
THIS KINDER, GENTLER, AND MORE
HUMANE.
HUMANE.
HUMANE. >> I HOPE SO AS WELL.
IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING, THEY
WILL BE BACK ON TELEVISION.