I got fed up with the plastic applicator (too cold, could barely force myself to touch it) and the tampon without one (too rough, ditto) and just started poking around with my finger. I pushed aside a couple layers of folds (no obvious hole like in the diagrams) until I encountered a very clear NOT ...

I hope I'm posting this in the right place. I've been putting off learning how to put in a tampon for years. The couple of times when I was invited to go swimming during the wrong time of the month, I lay on my bed holding one for almost an hour, then gave up and said I couldn't go. Now I have a job...