WRITTEN by JOHN MORRIS
Roatan’s natural beauty is all around us…
In the early 1600’s, when Samuel de Champlain first laid eyes on what is now Vermont, he named the majestic landscape “Mont Verde” meaning green mountains in French.
Obviously the name stuck with a little English adjustment – you know adjective before the noun.
Today Vermont is known as a creative haven for wandering souls longing for a more simple life. The state has always been the rebel for the United States, refusing to follow the norm.
Christopher Columbus, about 100 years before de Champlain, stumbled upon a little island in the Caribbean, also full of green, lush mountains.
On the island there was a village called Roa and with the Spanish addition of the word tan – like Yucatan – the name was adopted. Sometimes referred to on maps as Rattan and Ruatan, the name Roatan eventually won out.
So what do Vermont and Roatan have in common besides green mountains?
For me, it is the special feeling of happiness that I get being surrounded by greenery.
A recent article published by the American Psychological Association stated:
Psychologists’ research explains the mental and physical restoration we get from nature – and has important implications for how we build our homes, work environments and cities.
You see, nature is good for you, and good for your soul too. Studies have shown that being in or even seeing nature helps people heal faster both physically and mentally.
Children actually have longer attention spans when exposed to greenery, and studies have also shown that people who spend time inside with plants live longer than those who do not.
Here on Roatan, we are always surrounded by green. Even after one of the worst summertime droughts in recent history, the island bounced back and blossomed once the rains returned.
Most everything grows here. We say, “Stick it in the ground, give it water and away you go.”
Of course, not all plants like our climate (I can’t grow tomatoes), but plenty thrive.
The island’s natural features are a major reason people seeking a Caribbean home come to Roatan. Many Caribbean isles are really big sand bars. What fun is that?
Like Vermont, Roatan attracts those who do not want to follow the norm. We have writers, artists of all sorts and a whole bunch of just plain happy people.
My friend Rob Baker of The Beach Grill at Blue Bahia will answer the question “How are you?” exactly the same way every time:
“Just another Day in Paradise!”
And ain’t it the truth? Go ahead and ask him next time you see him – guaranteed to put a smile on anyone’s face!
‘Green’ has many meanings in today’s world – ecofriendly… environmentally-conscious… to name a couple – and some really good ‘green’ things are happening here on the island.
Single-use plastic, straws and Styrofoam have been banned, land fill issues are being addressed, and solar energy continues to grow.
But the most important meaning of the word “green” on Roatan is that we are naturally surrounded by it… and that my friends, is good.
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