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Yes, from from what I have heard from various observers over the years, different peoples' eyes have varying levels of sensitivity to colour. Also, sometimes over time with training we can become a bit more aware of colour.
In my first season of observing with a 10 inch scope, I did not notice any colour in M42 at all, only grey. Then, the next summer, the green suddenly became quite obvious in the same scope, although it was only quite pale in appearance. Thereafter, the colour was immediately obvious everytime I observed, even through scopes of 8 inches aperture.
I now observe with 20 inches, and I see, with direct vision, an emerald green in the central region of M42, pinks in the mid to outer regions, and even some peachy tones in particularly still conditions at the far outer regions. Remarkably, some other observers, looking through the same 20 inches, cannot detect the colour at all, or only see it very faintly. Most only see the green, and no pink at all.
Over winter I had the pleasure of seeing some pink hues in M8. It was quite subtle, but there, nonetheless. Many planetaries show very obvious colour, even in smaller scopes, generally they are pale aqua.
I too wonder sometimes if I am seeing what I want to see in M42, but then I compare what I see with other experienced observers, and we describe the same thing, always with the green in the central region and pinks at the edges, which is quite different to the images one sees on this forum, and elsewhere, where, as you say, there is no green.
I understand that green is the colour our eyes are most sensitive to, so we tend to sense that first.
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