Colin W Kingsbury wrote:

and after we turned about 270 degrees, he looked over and said, "boy, you're
sure confused," and within about 15 seconds had us back on course &
altitude. ATC didn't even mention it.


ATC didn't see it.

In a slow airplane, you fly in one place a long time, and ATC only sees
a blip, not your airplane changing attitudes or heading.

They're doing something else anyway; not much to hold their interest in
a blip on the screen that never seems to move.