how can i explain holding out for work closer to home and avoid commuting

i was fired from my last job about two yrs ago. it was a 45 mile commute each way with no one to carpool with. i was there about 3-4 yrs and before that had about the same distance to the last 2 previous jobs which totaled about 8 yrs of commuting again solo. so yea i am 47yrs old and have worked without gaps since i was 15 yrs old up to the last 2 yrs. after being fired 2 yrs ago i have been getting unemployment paid every 2 weeks at $450 a week. i havnt been getting to much less than when i was working considering transportation costs to commute. plus my living situation allowed me to survive on unemployment pay. but the best thing of this story is i have spent a huge amount of time with my grandson who will be 5 yrs old soon.i mean like no less than 4 days a week solid we have spent together.so i have taken this time away from employment as a blessing for me and feel lucky i was able to live comfortably on $450 a week and kept up job searches for local jobs in town that i would go to work for in a second.i dont wqant to commute anymore and i dont miss the hrs being stuck in a hot ass car for hourson a freeway after busting my ass for 8-10 hrs in a blazing hot glass plant or foundry or composition roof production plants. dont miss the accidents and breakdowns in my car anymore.the road ragers and phycos driving next to me.i spent two yrs with my grandson and loved every second of it cause i was xble to. so will i be blackballed and have resumes tossed in garbage cans for being picky of where i want to work avoiding commute time nightmares?or do i just explain this on my resume and hope for the best.

i dont blame you ... why not ? i too have been on unemployment... and took the time to get to know my family back east..

loboman in Antioch, California said: i was fired from my last job about two yrs ago. it was a 45 mile commute each way with no one to carpool with. i was there about 3-4 yrs and before that had about the same distance to the last 2 previous jobs which totaled about 8 yrs of commuting again solo. so yea i am 47yrs old and have worked without gaps since i was 15 yrs old up to the last 2 yrs. after being fired 2 yrs ago i have been getting unemployment paid every 2 weeks at $450 a week. i havnt been getting to much less than when i was working considering transportation costs to commute. plus my living situation allowed me to survive on unemployment pay. but the best thing of this story is i have spent a huge amount of time with my grandson who will be 5 yrs old soon.i mean like no less than 4 days a week solid we have spent together.so i have taken this time away from employment as a blessing for me and feel lucky i was able to live comfortably on $450 a week and kept up job searches for local jobs in town that i would go to work for in a second.i dont wqant to commute anymore and i dont miss the hrs being stuck in a hot ass car for hourson a freeway after busting my ass for 8-10 hrs in a blazing hot glass plant or foundry or composition roof production plants. dont miss the accidents and breakdowns in my car anymore.the road ragers and phycos driving next to me.i spent two yrs with my grandson and loved every second of it cause i was xble to. so will i be blackballed and have resumes tossed in garbage cans for being picky of where i want to work avoiding commute time nightmares?or do i just explain this on my resume and hope for the best.

I dunno if that story will get you anywhere. Where I work, someone with a two-year gap, goes into the B-Pile - not printed, not processed.

I took off 18 months to be with my mother when she was ill and I had a heck of time getting back into the job market.

I'd just say you've been continuously looking but haven't been hired. That's what I say. You can't say anything about what you noted in your post because that will get you nothing. And it is hard to get hired again after being off work for some time. I seriously don't think I'll ever be hired again by anyone. I've seen the reactions by employers and recruiters. I don't know where you can go when you feel this shunned, but I'll find out soon.