@AoF: The point about keeping stuff under wraps... not wanting it to become widespread. That's a really double edged sword, don't you think? Like keeping it under control has the capacity to make the message clear and precise and making it 'heart to heart' so to speak, but at the same time, in some ways you're not allowing the thing that you made to be seen by people to whom it could really make a difference.
@darkly and AoF: Dalai Lama... right. I can only hope. Haha.

But, it's not so much about you being remembered as it is about transfer of knowledge, of skill, of energy. You being in the equation is just cravy. Nice to have, never necessary. It would just be too egocentric. You should never be an integral part of it, if you are, it's not real. Also it would remove the two-way-street type structure of it. If you know you made a difference, a difference was also made to you. Stare into the abyss and all that. In any case, it's not so much about giving people fish, but rather teaching them to fish (and them teaching you, but in another way, by the way). If they remember who thought them, good, if they don't it's ok, as long as they still know how to fish. Otherwise in 100 years, we'll have to do this all over again.
But, on the stress factor issue, life wise... it's worth getting out of. Like the saying goes, "If you like your job, you haven't worked a day in your life." It's f'ing true. I've always believed it, now I know it's true. When you have a chance of doing something you love, there's nothing better, as far as jobs go. There can still be stress, a lot of stress,

but it's not the same. It's just not.
