The only constant in life is change - Heraclitus said that. Or was it Bob Dylan? Or is it an advertising line for underwear?
No - it's definitely the Greek philosopher. So the idea that change is part of human life has been around for at least a few thousand years.
And the idea is still a truism. Look around Shepparton at the moment. The buildings are not what they were. They are becoming vast backdrops for bursts of light and colour. From the Shepparton Art Museum's big black cube to the brown brick walls of O'Dea's Saddlery on High St, to Schnitz on Fryers and others across town, there are messages of unity and community mixed with weird fish, explosions of colour and smiling faces.
Which is exactly as it should be.
These murals will remain to brighten our lives long after the 25th anniversary Shepparton Festival has finished and the committee has dusted itself down to begin planning for next year.
While other regional towns are building a following for murals and art trails, Shepparton has been left behind in the public art stakes.
Hopefully these new murals are just the start of a wild labyrinth of weird and wonderful surprises around every corner.
Whether or not people travel to see them is not the point. They are here and they are ours and they are unique. After a while, murals become background, just like the brick underneath. Then it's time for another, different mural. Nothing is forever, and good public art reflects the changes that a community is going through.
Which brings us to the old Shepparton Post Office.
It stood as a monument to sophistication and progress for 90 years. But by 1973 it had become a reminder of the dull past. It was a familiar utilitarian building that no longer served its purpose - to distribute and collect mail.
So it was torn down and a functional modern rectangular office took its place.
Today that building on Wyndham St is considered a dull reminder of the 1970s, while the old red brick building has been a focus of nostalgia and lost pride for decades.
And so it goes.
Now, there's a determined push to rebuild the old post office. This is a powerful reminder that the past is always with us, and that some things are worth preserving.
People knew this even as it was being pulled down.
Bricks, pillars, steps and ceiling roses of the old post office were stored for safe-keeping in sheds and backyards by Shepparton people who knew that something destructive had happened. It was as if they knew their heritage would rise again - when the time was right.
Now, the time is right.
The distinctive colonial red and cream brick with its soaring clock and bell tower are packed with as much electric energy as the bold new murals going up around the CBD.
Every strong community ensures the old and the new can co-exist.
And old Heraclitus teaches us that, and that change is good in changing times.
John Lewis is a journalist at The News.
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