I have just spent an hour trying to figure out what's going on with ELPA, GNU ELPA, NONGNU ELPA packages.  I am lost.

A plethora of methods exist for installing org-mode and other packages; it is unnecessary to list them, even if I could.

I've been using Emacs and Org-mode for many years.  I am not interested in spending an hour of my time to learn a new way to install something that has been working well for me.  I may not use org-mode with the facility of a programmer who can whip off a quick utility in emacs lisp, but I have come to depend on the basic tools as a core of my work flow.

I have tried "use package",  but I would prefer something straightforward, like just list-packages then install.  I don't understand how to set up my init file (dot emacs) for various package repos.  It was working, that's all I needed.  Now I get a 5 second delay each time I use org-mode.  I cannot seem to find the information I need to fix this.  On reddit, on emacs wiki, on this list, I cannot find the magic search term.  I see advice like "the maintainer has written a very clear explanation of the issue" but,this very clear explanation does not help me understand what I need to do.

I guess I need a formula, but I have cut and pasted two or three different things into the top of my .init file.  Perhaps I need to start again, but my .init file has been taking root for nearly 30 years; it's burned into my muscle memory.

I hope I will never have to write another email like this to get help for something that should be simple.  Maybe I will now have to install from git.  I think I am already too far out at sea to abandon the packages approach.  I guess it serves me right for stepping off the beach.

Alan Davis