+1, yes, you can get there. It was mentioned above you might need to replace a big-box-store bike with a reliable-brand bike. You can certainly buy good new bikes, but your cheapest option there is to find an older mountain bike, like $150-300 off craigslist, hopefully rigid (no suspension), buy some semi-slick commuting tires for it, if necessary pay a LBS to tune it up for you, or better, find a co-op that will teach you how to tune it up for yourself.

Other than that, while you learn, ride slower, and ride more defensively; remember it's not just cars trying to kill you, the road is also trying to destroy your bike with glass and nails and potholes etc. When you have commuted enough, you will know your route so well you will avoid every pothole, easily spot every new field of broken glass from the beer bottle that redneck threw out of his truck last night, etc.