Attained a special skill/eduction only to abandon it?

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I hold an ARCT in piano performance and played professionally for 10 years
Taught lessons, played on cruise lines, in a few bands and as a soloist in hotels/restaurants/private events and a few small festivals.

Did this mainly in my late teens through late 20s.

Left music because I no longer felt challenged and grew somewhat bored. I reached a level of technical proficiency that I was satisfied with and that told me I was already 'good enough'. I was 'good enough' by my standards.
I also found it difficult to profit from any of my original compositions. (no radio play, no sales)
I grew tired of playing cover songs in hotel bars. (Taking requests and playing other peoples music)

One thing I'm asked if people hear me play the piano is why I am not playing more.
Some people seem to believe that I am wasting my talent.

It's my choice how I use my time and I certainly dedicated myself to attain a high standard through years of practice.

It's not a waste when you have already gone further than most and are at peace with your decision.
(I am not thrilled TBH that I am not active in music, but I have little motivation to continue as I know through experience I've explored the field thoroughly)

I never had much success in getting paid for my musical skills and services, so I had little choice but to use my science skills to bring in the money. There were aspects of science that I enjoyed a lot, but music floats my boat much better. I guess I compromised, but it was either that or live like a pauper.

When I was a child I made the mistake for showing off on the piano with a short boogie woogie riff my cousin taught me. My parents were told that I should be given piano lessons. For four years a brutal piano teacher would take my fingers and crush them into the keys. I could pick put a melody and hammer away at some chords, but I was never able to integrate them. I told my parents that the could punish me any way they wanted to, they could even kill me, but I wouldn't play the piano anymore. It was interesting to see the shift in parent child power dynamics, so thus ended my career as a musician. It was a brutal way to learn not to show off.

I had a friend once who was a piano man (ala Billy Joel) who found fulfillment in taking advantage of drunk single women. I thought that was sad and I would assume ultimately unfulfilling.

I still like music and thought if I was younger, might take a stab at the composition that is now possible through electronics. A while back there was a song, Classical Gas, that was based on an introduction and then a revelation of numerous additional instruments. To me this was like the Phil Specter "Wall of Sound" technique.

If you still have an interest in music, you might experiment with multi-instrument compositions. The Moody Blues did a lot with the Mellotron.

Thats a selfish view. The "gifts" you were given are for sharing and its in the giving that we receive. Now you know it all, in more ways then one, get out and start sharing. There is a show currently on UK TV called "The Piano" and has some great talent sharing their gifts in train stations etc. The self serving presenters spoil it...but just take a look at how the passngers etc passing by just love to see and hear those gifted talents being shared.
Thats the hard work, being able to stand up and be counted. Hard as it is try it, you will never be sorry at the public response.

Actually, this is becoming a necessity in today's workplace.
You get good at a physical skill and get replaced by a robot.
So you make the big switch over to mental skills.
AI is replacing the mental skill set. But, AI is more of a consensus of what folks agree upon
Doesn't work as well for engineering when you need to extrapolate and push the boundaries of what we know.

How's he being selfish? He isn't a trained monkey, he doesn't have to play the piano if that's not what he's happy doing.

I don't believe he claimed it was a "gift", he became good at playing the piano by more than 10 years of practice. But even when he became good at it, nobody would give him the opportunity to showcase his own songs, which is actually rather heartbreaking. I agree with the above, he doesn't owe anybody anything at all.