Here's a bit more advice fhchiang, take it in the spirit it's given.
Keep on plugging. There'll always be people who will give you the negative side of every argument. But in all my years of flying I've met only very few pilots who continue to have the passion they displayed initially. That is not to say they are not good pilots. Disillusion sets in, sometimes earlier, sometimes later. It takes a very determined person to continue on the chosen path.
We all make mistakes. But it takes a man to recognise the mistake and to correct it. Well done!