December 12, 2012, also known as 12/12/12.

It just seems like it was yesterday that we were at 1/1/01, beginning a new century. But now, we’re more than a decade into it.

Unless the Mayans are right, this is the last date we will have like this until the year 2101. It would be great to live to be 121 and see it come around. Maybe it will happen.

But you have to admit, many things have changed since we officially moved into the 21st century on New Year’s Day 2001.

According to the legendary movie, 2001 was supposed to be a space odyssey, but we never quite lived up to that.

However, that year was a year that changed everything for our country. We had the 9-11 terrorists attacks and that has had a profound impact on our daily lives since then.

You’ll notice it at airports, major sporting events and around major tourist attractions. Not only that, but we have constantly been in a state of conflict against terrorist cells around the world.

Technology has tremendously changed over the last 12 years. The cell phone was a necessity in 2001, as the payphone business went away. However, the cell phone has been replaced by the smart phone and remains a major necessity, not necessarily to talk on the phone, but to manage your email, text messages and social media accounts.

While computers are still necessary today, the tablets such as Kindles and iPads are replacing the conventional laptop or desktop computer.

Our world is much different from the time that we started this century, but there are many things that stay the same. While Hartselle has adapted to new technology and other things, it still retains its strong sense of community. And that’s something everyone can be proud of.

I know looking to the future can be overwhelming. What’s the next big thing to happen? What will daily life look like in five or ten years?

But even then, it’s more fun to see how similar we are to now.

Brent Maze is the managing editor of the Hartselle Enquirer.