Joe,
don't give up and let this failure demotivate you from further flying.
Keep in mind, there are alot of different people around at an airfield/club.
who may give you more or less worth of advice. Sort them out and watch them,
what they do and how they fly, you may see the most theoretical flight advisors crash
their planes due to some easy avoidable errors.
My instructor even tought me how to do rolls, Immelman's and loops on my pt-40 trainer
and assured me that it's ok to fly it like that. the plane loves it too.
Move on to your next plane, you are ready for it. the trainers get boring fast and you'll pick up
bad habits flying them too long. a stick would be perfect for a 2nd.
get your wife off the furniture and involve her with your flying and assist you to get the plane ready and
watch the activities while you are getting comfy with your plane. it's great to participate in each others hobby,
always good to have a trusty navigator on your side.
good luck and happy landings.