Textbook 2.61 Lewis structure confusion

[Joy 3F]

I am confused on the 2.61 textbook question:

The Lewis structure I drew with Carbon in the middle seems to satisfy the Lewis structure rules in the most stable form(might be wrong?) but with a trigonal planar shape and with the unpaired electron on the oxygen.
However, the answer key provided a linear structure with the H attached to the O molecule, leaving the C to have the unpaired electron. But doesn’t this give the C a positive charge, making it less stable than my original trigonal planar drawing?
I am having trouble understanding why the linear formula is supposed to be correct when it doesn’t seem to be the most stable option. How would we know that the H is attached to the O and not the C? Mainly, whydoes the unpaired electron go on the C instead of the O?

[yocelyn tapia 3H]

I believe it would be worse to have a lone electron on an oxygen rather than a carbon because carbon is more flexible when it comes to its configurations and placing it on the oxygen would result in an extremely electronegative configuration. Basically, both the hydrogen and oxygen wouldn't want the lone electron because they tend to have full shells which leaves carbon as the best/only choice.