Hi Jim,
The Windows icon at the bottom left of your screen just to the left of the search box is the Start button. I agree it's nothing like the old style XP one, but it works well enough.
If for whatever reason you cannot see this icon or the button doesn't work when you click upon it then that's another issue entirely and I'll need to have a look into it for you, unless somebody else does it first.
What you could try if you just cannot see the Start button is holding the 'Control' button down on your keyboard and then pressing 'Esc', which is the same shortcut that was used back in the XP days for opening the Start menu.
If you just don't like it, then again I'll have to see if there is a way of downloading an old style one.