I dislike learning curves.

Because my darling No. 4 Grandson loves cell phones and happened to suck on mine one day when I was being less than observant, the “OK” cover came off the middle button.

No problem, I thought. I’ll just super glue that little puppy back in place and I’ll be good to go. Here’s a tip: Don’t use super glue on cell phone key pads.

After that impromptu fix, a fuzzy square appeared on my cell phone screen, which wasn’t so bad, but I couldn’t live with the spastic commands.

When I received a text from my daughter-in-law, it took me about ten minutes to try to get to the right screen. My phone would inexplicably drop down on lists or skip to a different screen. It was Frustrating!

Since that phone’s case was super scratched and I’d had it for years (No. 2 Daughter’s gone through at least phones during that time frame), I decided it was time for a switch. So No. 4 Grandson and I visited the cell phone store yesterday, while it was pouring rain. Every time we walked out in the wet, he’d say, “Mess! Mess!” I confessed those were my exact sentiments.

“What kind of phone would you like?” The helpful young woman asked. “Would you like one mostly for texting or…?”

“I just want something similar to the one I have,” I said. “I don’t want to deal with a learning curve.”

Of course, there wasn’t a similar phone for free, but I was able to get one for $10, which I didn’t think was too bad for a new phone after all these years.

The phone is similar, but not the same. I can’t put a picture of my dear daughters on the front of it. The key pad does not have separate keys for each numeral; it has numbered bars. But I think I can live with it.

The technology learning curves that really bother me are on the computer. Google now urges me to “switch to the new look” with an annoying box at the bottom of my inbox. I don’t want a new look. Yahoo promised me that I would be able to access my email just as easily as before if I switched to the new Yahoo. It lied.

I used to be able to see both of my Yahoo accounts on the same screen and switch between them with one click. Now, I can’t access the other account unless I completely sign out of one before trying to open the other. About five clicks as opposed to one. That’s progress for you.

My digital camera has fewer mega pixels than most cell phones, but if I get a new camera I’ll have to upload new software to my computer and who knows if I’ll be able to access all those old photos.

I guess I’m just a learning curve curmudgeon.