I'm pretty good at making a fool of myself.

And what better chance than in front of a room full of cops and other law-enforcement individuals? On Monday, I was allowed to photograph during the first few minutes of an official meeting concerning Portland's secret list of the most frequently arrested people. I quietly took my photos, careful not to upset anybody involved. For some reason, I've always been initially judged as a troublemaker, especially to figures of authority. I didn't really want to give the boys in blue any reason to dislike me, so I pretty much kept to myself during my short time in the meeting. But when the time came for me to exit the room, Officer Myers turned around in his chair and asked if I had everything I needed.

"Yeah, I think so," I said, actually unsure of whether I had gotten anything usable. Clearly the time had come for the usual cordial goodbyes, but instead of extending his hand to shake mine, Officer Myers raised his, palm flat and facing me.

Only as the clear crack of colliding metacarpus began resonating in my ears did I realize I had made a fairly embarrassing (though equally funny) mistake. Not only that, but out of sheer habit I had also exclaimed "High-Five!" with such fervor that I'm pretty sure it would have ashamed The Todd (Scrubs). Of course, the entire room burst into laughter. I sheepishly laughed also, simultaneously backing quickly to the door as I realized Officer Myers had only been waving goodbye.

So, I found another way to make a fool out of myself. But then again, how many of you can say you've high-fived a cop?