Art Unwin wrote:

...
Art

I expected someone to pop-in with an ultra-simplistic explanation, and
poof!; Claim the problem explained ...

I myself pay enough attention that, I can see the point you make.
Indeed, anyone with even half-a-brain, interested in rf and having
worked with antennas in a hands-on reality, i.e., build rather than buy,
would have come across this enigma.

Real world example:

I have watched amateurs pump 1+KW into, what I consider, incredibly thin
elements/conductors (my math skills indicate current carrying capacity
of the wire is being vastly exceeded, at points/nodes.) And, it has
struck me that I don't see this element vaporize at a current node!
Indeed, I don't even see a pronounced sag/heating/softening of such
elements ...

The simple/short explanation makes all our "antenna
prophetic/predicting" formulas and equations work ... the long
explanation is a bit more complex, me thinks ...

Regards,
JS