Billz

I've read the manual for my radio as well as working my way through the Guerrilla's Guide To The Baofeng Radio and I've been working with CHIRP to learn that stuff. Still, I feel somewhat lost. I've received a private message from someone offering to help guide me but no reply to my response, so...I'm using YouTube and my books to as much advantage as I can leverage.

I used the map to look at where repeaters are located near me.

I've become a member on so many forums that I know this post is going to seem redundant to most here on this forum. However, at the risk of aggravating a lot of people... I'm new in a way that is almost embarrassing. I say almost embarrassing because my newbie status combined with my chronological age makes we ask "what, why and how" a lot and I no longer worry about feeling stupid. I did a quick search around here didn't find any "new guy" stuff so I just gotta ask, where do I go from here? Specifically, there are so many acronyms being used that it's overwhelming. I don't see a page on the forum for people to read about the extremely basic stuff, sooo...I'm here saying I don't know what to do next. I have my GMRS license because I can pay the fee but someday getting a ham license seems out of reach for me. I've studied a few times but I just am not absorbing all the technical stuff so it looks like I'll never get there. My idea was to start with GMRS because it may enable me to garner experience in a general sense while being exposed to other concepts onto which I can stack lessons. In any case, I need help with the super basic stuff. I completed a search on Amazon for books but even that seems to present so many choices that it is tough to know which way to go next. Repeaters, handhelds, base station and mobiles, etc all get pretty overwhelming when the technical information reads like Greek or foreign language. I find myself wishing that there were a "basics" section in this forum for new people that would be judgement free and assist with learning new terms, mechanical concepts and stuff. I know that I can turn my Midland handheld on and have heard people talking, but their conversations are obviously private and it seems wrong to even just listen besides the fact that it doesn't really help to listen to someone else talk. That's like eavesdropping on someone's table-talk at McDonald's; useless for learning how to use my radio correctly. Sure, I can push the button to talk but wonder what are the basic rules, etc. Any suggestions for how to proceed for the brand new participants?