Sorry, didn’t actually answer your question. Distros are always adopting the newest kernel version when they put out their own newer versions. But you still have the capability to go backwards and put an older engine in it if you think it actually runs better in your machine than the newer one does. And you can take an older version and put a newer kernel in it.
Like many have rightly claimed around here. It is all about finding the right combination that works for you and there are a lot of different options of Kernel, Distro, and Desktop. I agree, it is confusing for most. This is why you need to trust someone with YOUR own best interests at heart. Techy guys go for “light” and Commandline terminal distros. Others like myself are looking out for newbies who need a full GUI that is easy to use for them because they do not want to touch the commandline terminal.
And as you have discovered yourself, Mint Cinnamon is the best of both worlds... It is a fully loaded Cadillac but it is still fast... And the comandline is exactly the same as all others. :)
Thanks for the explanation- Next time i upgrade, I will have to take note of the current kernal- then go back to it if the upgrade doesn’t work out